Castable golf ball components using acrylate functional resins

ABSTRACT

Golf ball components, such as cores, intermediate layers, and covers, formed with compositions including precursors with acrylate functionality crosslinked with a curing agent.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/662,388, entitled “Castable Golf Ball Components Using AcrylateFunctional Resins,” filed Sep. 16, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,148 theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to golf ball components including acrylatefunctional resins. In particular, the present invention is directed tovarious golf ball components, e.g., golf ball covers, cores, andintermediate layers, formed from a precursor with acrylate functionalitycrosslinked with a curing agent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Golf ball components are formed from a variety of compositions. Forexample, golf ball cores, intermediate layers, and covers may be formedfrom materials ranging from balata to ionomer resin to polyurethane orpolyurea. Manufacturers constantly experiment with the differentmaterials for use in the various golf ball layers in order to provide agolf ball that has desirable aerodynamic properties, “soft” feel, andincreased durability.

For example, balata covered balls are favored by more highly skilledgolfers because the softness of the cover allows the player to achievespin rates sufficient to more precisely control ball direction anddistance, particularly on shorter shots. However, balata covered ballsare easily damaged, and thus lack the durability required by the averagegolfer.

Alternative cover compositions have been developed in an attempt toprovide balls with spin rates and a feel approaching those of balatacovered balls, while also providing a golf ball with a higher durabilityand overall distance. For instance, ionomer resins have, to a largeextent, replaced balata as a cover material. Chemically, ionomer resinsare a copolymer of an olefin and an α,β-ethylenically-unsaturatedcarboxylic acid having 10 to 90 percent of the carboxylic acid groupsneutralized by a metal ion, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,272.Commercially available ionomer resins include, for example, copolymersof ethylene and methacrylic or acrylic acid, neutralized with metalsalts. Examples of commercially available ionomer resins include, butare not limited to, SURLYN® from DuPont de Nemours and Company, andESCOR® and IOTEK® from Exxon Corporation. These ionomer resins aredistinguished by the type of metal ion, the amount of acid, and thedegree of neutralization.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,454,280, 3,819,768, 4,323,247, 4,526,375, 4,884,814,and 4,911,451 all relate to the use of SURLYN®-type compositions in golfball covers. However, while SURLYN® covered golf balls, as described inthe preceding patents, possess virtually cut-proof covers, the spin andfeel are inferior compared to balata covered balls.

Polyurethanes have also been recognized as useful materials for golfball covers since about 1960. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,061teaches a golf ball made from a polyurethane prepolymer formed ofpolyether with diisocyanate that is cured with either a polyol or anamine-type curing agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,673 discloses the use oftwo categories of polyurethane available on the market, i.e., thermosetand thermoplastic polyurethanes, for forming golf ball covers and, inparticular, thermoset polyurethane covered golf balls made from acomposition of polyurethane prepolymer and a slow-reacting amine curingagent, and/or a glycol.

Unlike ionomer resin covered golf balls, polyurethane golf ball coverscan be formulated to possess the soft “feel” of balata covered golfballs. However, golf ball covers made from polyurethane have not, todate, fully matched ionomer resin golf balls with respect to resilienceor the rebound of the golf ball cover, which is a function of theinitial velocity of a golf ball after impact with a golf club.

Furthermore, because the polyurethanes used to make the covers of suchgolf balls generally contain an aromatic component, e.g., aromaticdiisocyanate, polyol, or polyamine, they are susceptible todiscoloration upon exposure to light, particularly ultraviolet (UV)light. To slow down the discoloration, light and UV stabilizers, e.g.,TINUVIN® 770, 765, and 328, are added to these aromatic polymericmaterials. However, to further ensure that the covers formed fromaromatic polyurethanes do not appear discolored, the covers are paintedwith white paint and then covered with a clear coat to maintain thewhite color of the golf ball. The application of a uniform whitepigmented coat to the dimpled surface of the golf ball is a difficultprocess that adds time and costs to the manufacture of a golf ball.

Polyureas have also been proposed as cover materials for golf balls. Forinstance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,870 discloses a polyurea compositioncomprising the reaction product of an organic isocyanate and an organicamine, each having at least two functional groups. Once these twoingredients are combined, the polyurea is formed, and thus the abilityto vary the physical properties of the composition is limited. And, likepolyurethanes, polyureas are not completely comparable to ionomer resingolf balls with respect to resilience or the rebound or damping behaviorof the golf ball cover. Moreover, golf ball components cast frompolyurethane or polyurea compositions involve complicated ratio anddynamic mixing requirements, which adds to possible waste duringmanufacturing if the requirements are not met.

Therefore, there remains a continuing need for golf ball components thatmay be cast using a composition that solves the problems associated withpolyurethane and polyurea compositions discussed above, e.g., resiliencereduction and complicated ratio and mixing requirements, while stillobtaining the soft feel provided by such compositions. In particular, itwould be advantageous to provide a composition formed from a preolymerwith acrylate functionality crosslinked with a curing agent. Forexample, a polyurethane or polyurea backbone (the resilient segment)endcapped with an acrylate (the crosslinkable segment) would bebeneficial for use in golf ball components to overcome the problemsassociated with prior art golf ball component compositions. In addition,it would be beneficial to optimize the length of the precursor tocontrol hardness and flexibility of the resultant elastomer. Moreover,there is a need in the art for golf ball compositions with improvedlight stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a golf ball including a core and acover, wherein at least one of the core and the cover is cast from acastable reactive acrylate functional composition including at least oneacrylate functional component and at least one free radical initiator.The at least one acrylate functional component may have a viscosity ofabout 100 cP or greater.

In one embodiment, the at least one acrylate functional component isselected from the group consisting of monofunctional, difunctional,trifunctional, tetrafunctional, and pentafunctional monomers andoligomers, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the at leastone acrylate functional component comprises about 1 percent to about 100percent urethane acrylate, urea acrylate, or a combination thereof. Instill another embodiment, the at least one acrylate functional componentis selected from the group consisting of water dispersible monomers,adhesion promoting monomers, pigment dispersing monomers, fire retardingmonomers, metallic diacrylate, metallic dimethacrylate, epoxy acrylates,epoxy methacrylates, acrylate half esters, methacrylate half esters,polybutadiene acrylates, and combinations thereof.

The at least one free radical initiator may include at least oneperoxide. For example, the at least one free radical initiator may beselected from the group consisting of di-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amylperoxy-2-ethylhexyl carbonate, t-amyl peroxyacetate, ethyl3,3-D(t-amylperoxy) butyrate, 2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy)propane, t-amylperbenzoate, di(2-t-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide,1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide,di-t-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(t-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane,n-butyl-4,4-bis(t-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoylperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and mixtures thereof. In anotherembodiment, the at least one free radical initiator comprises at leastone azo compound.

A golf ball formed according to the invention may further include anintermediate layer. In one embodiment, the intermediate layer includesan ionomeric material. In another embodiment, the golf ball furtherincludes at least one top coat disposed about the cover.

The cover may have a thickness of about 50 μm or greater. In oneembodiment, the cover has a thickness of about 0.2 inches to about 0.035inches.

The present invention is also directed to an acrylate functionalcomposition for a structural layer of a golf ball including apolyurethane backbone formed from the reaction of at least oneisocyanate and at least one polyol; at least one unsaturated acrylatefunctional segment reacted with the polyurethane backbone; and at leastone free radical initiator. In one embodiment, the composition forms acover layer of a golf ball.

In one embodiment, the at least one unsaturated acrylate functionalsegment includes hydroxy-terminated acrylates, amine-terminatedacrylates, or mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the at least oneacrylate functional segment includes hydroxy-terminated acrylate,methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate,butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, glycidylmethacrylate, or mixtures thereof.

In this aspect of the invention, the at least one free radical initiatormay include at least one peroxide, e.g., di-t-amyl peroxide,di(2-t-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide,1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide,di-t-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(t-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane,n-butyl-4,4-bis(t-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoylperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment,the at least one free radical initiator is selected from the groupconsisting of di-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amyl peroxy-2-ethylhexylcarbonate, t-amyl peroxyacetate, ethyl 3,3-D(t-amylperoxy) butyrate,2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy)propane, t-amyl perbenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1 to about 100 percentof urethane acrylate and about 99 percent to 0 percent of at least oneunsaturated acrylate resin. For example, the at least one unsaturatedacrylate resin may include epoxy acrylates, epoxy methacrylates,acrylate half esters, methacrylate half esters, polybutadiene acrylates,urea acrylates, and combinations thereof.

The present invention also relates to an acrylate functional compositionfor a structural layer of a golf ball including: a polyurea backboneformed from the reaction of at least one isocyanate, at least oneamine-terminated compound; at least one unsaturated acrylate functionalsegment reacted with the polyurea backbone; and at least one freeradical initiator.

In one embodiment, the at least one unsaturated acrylate functionalsegment includes acrylate, methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethylacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate,glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, or mixtures thereof.

The amine-terminated compound may be selected from the group consistingof amine-terminated hydrocarbons, amine-terminated polyethers,amine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminated polycaprolactones,amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminated polyamides, andmixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the amine-terminated compoundcomprises primary amines, secondary amines, triamines, or combinationsthereof.

In one embodiment, the polyurea backbone includes linkages having thegeneral formulae:

or a mixture thereof, wherein x is the chain length, i.e., about 1 orgreater, and wherein R and R1 are straight chain or branched hydrocarbonchains having about 1 to about 20 carbons, and wherein the linkages formgreater than about 10 percent of the polyurea backbone.

In another embodiment, the polyurea backbone consists essentially oflinkages having the general formula:

wherein x is the chain length, i.e., about 1 or greater, and wherein Rand R1 comprise straight chain or branched hydrocarbon chains havingabout 1 to about 20 carbons, and wherein the linkages form greater thanabout 10 percent of the polyurea backbone.

In this aspect of the invention, the at least one free radical initiatormay include at least one peroxide. In one embodiment, the at least onefree radical initiator is selected from the group consisting ofdi-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amyl peroxy-2-ethylhexyl carbonate, t-amylperoxyacetate, ethyl 3,3-D(t-amylperoxy)butyrate,2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy)propane, t-amyl perbenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

In another embodiment, the composition includes about 1 to about 100percent of urea acrylate and about 99 percent to 0 percent of at leastone unsaturated acrylate resin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention can be ascertained fromthe following detailed description that is provided in connection withthe drawing(s) described below:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a two layer ball, wherein at least aportion of the golf ball is formed from the compositions of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-component golf ball, whereinat least a portion of the golf ball is formed from the compositions ofthe invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-component golf ballincluding a large core, an intermediate layer, and a thin outer coverlayer disposed thereon, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball isformed from the compositions of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-component golf ballincluding a core, an outer core layer, a thin inner cover layer, and athin outer cover layer disposed thereon, wherein at least a portion ofthe golf ball is formed from the compositions of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates castable compositions for golfequipment. In particular, the castable compositions of the invention areformed by mixing together an acrylate functional monomer or oligomer anda thermally decomposing initiator or, depending on the thickness of thesample, the acrylate functional monomer or oligomer may be polymerizedwith electron beam, ultraviolet radiation, or other suitable radiationsources. The use of acrylate and methacrylate-terminated monomers andoligomers allow golf ball manufacturers to customize golf balls to havespecific hardness values, flexibility properties, abrasion resistance,chemical resistance, crosslink density, and light stability properties.

For example, the compositions of the invention may have a polyurethaneand/or a polyurea segment endcapped with at least one acrylic endsegment. The polyurethane and polyurea segments provide the resilientportion of the polymer, while the acrylic end segment providescrosslinkability. In one embodiment, both ends of the polyurethane orpolyurea segment are capped with acrylates. The acrylate end-cappedproducts are then mixed with a free radical initiator to produce acastable syrup.

The compositions of the invention may be used in a variety of golf ballconstructions, e.g., one-piece, two-piece, or multilayer balls, as wellas golf club components, e.g., club head inserts. When included invarious golf ball components, e.g., golf ball covers, the compositionsof the invention produce golf balls with physical and aerodynamicproperties better than or equal to golf balls incorporating conventionalcastable blends, such as polyurethane or polyurea. In addition, becausethe problems associated with conventional castable blends areeliminated, i.e., complicated ratio and dynamic mixing requirements,manufacturing time and costs may be decreased. Furthermore, becauseacrylates are known to be light stable, compositions includingprecursors with acrylate end-caps, wherein the precursors are based onaliphatic components, have improved light stability over traditionalaromatic castable compositions.

Compositions of the Invention

As briefly mentioned above, the compositions of the invention include atleast one monomer or oligomer with acrylate functionality and at leastone thermally decomposing initiator to form a castable reactive syrup.In one embodiment, the acrylate functionality is in the form of at leastone acrylate end cap. In another embodiment, the acrylate functionalityis achieved by encapping both ends of the monomer or oligomer withacrylates. For example, the compositions of the invention may include aresilient polymer precursor as the backbone, endcapped with unsaturatedacrylic resins to provide acrylate functionality, wherein the acrylatefunctionality provides crosslinkability to the castable reactivecomposition. Thus, the compositions of the invention preferably includea monomer or oligomer with at least one acrylate functionality.

Monomers suitable for use in the precursor function primarily as areactive diluent, which lowers the viscosity for processing andcrosslinking agents. In one embodiment, the monomers used with thepresent invention have a viscosity of about 20 centipoise (cP) orgreater. In another embodiment, the viscosity is about 100 cP orgreater. In still another embodiment, the viscosity is about 1,000 cP orgreater. In yet another embodiment, the viscosity of the monomer isabout 25,000 cP or less. For example, the viscosity of the monomer maybe about 100 cP to about 5000 cP.

Nonlimiting examples of monomers suitable for use with the presentinvention include monofunctional monomers, difunctional monomers,trifunctional monomers, tetrafunctional monomers, pentafunctionalmonomers, water dispersible monomers, adhesion promoting monomers,pigment dispersing monomers, fire retarding monomers, metallic coagents,and combinations thereof.

For example, monofunctional monomers may include, but are not limitedto, allyl methacrylate, caprolactone acrylate,2(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethylacrylate, ethoxylated nonyl phenol acrylate,glycidyl methacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate,isodecyl acrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, isooctyl acrylate, laurylacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethylmethacrylate, polypropylene glycol monomethacrylate, stearyl acrylate,stearyl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfurylmethacrylate, tridecyl acrylate, tridecyl methacrylate, and combinationsthereof.

Difunctional monomers may include, but are not limited to, alkoxylatedaliphatic diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanedioldimethacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycol diacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycoldimethacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycoldimethacrylate, ethoxylated₄ bisphenol A diacrylate, ethoxylated₁₀bisphenol A diacrylate, ethoxylated₃₀ bisphenol A dimethacrylate,ethoxylated₂ bisphenol A diacrylate, ethoxylated₂ bisphenol Adimethacrylate, ethoxylated₆ bisphenol A dimethacrylate, ethoxylated₁₂bisphenol A dimethacrylate, ethoxylated₄ bisphenol A dimethacrylate,ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate,1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, neopentylglycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol (200) diacrylate,polyethylene glycol (400) diacrylate, polyethylene glycol (600)diacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol(400) dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol (600) dimethacrylate,propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycoldiacrylate, tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycoldiacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, tripropylene glycoldiacrylate, and combinations thereof.

Trifunctional monomers may include, but are not limited to, highlypropoxylated glyceryl triacrylate, ethoxylated₃ trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, ethoxylated₆ trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethoxylated₉trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethoxylated₁₅ trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, ethoxylated₂₀ trimethylolpropane triacrylate,pentaerythritol triacrylate, propoxylated glyceryl triacrylate,propoxylated₃ trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated₆trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate,trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, tris(2-hydroxy ethyl)isocyanuratetriacrylate, and mixtures thereof.

Tetrafunctional and pentafunctional monomers include, but are notlimited to, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, di-trimethylolpropanetetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, pentaacrylateester, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, and combinations thereof. Waterdispersible monomers include, but are not limited to,2(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethylacrylate, ethoxylated₁₅ trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, ethoxylated₂₀ trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethoxylated₃₀trimethylolpropane triacrylate, metallic diacrylate, metallicdimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol (200) diacrylate, polyethyleneglycol (400) diacrylate, polyethylene glycol (600) diacrylate,polyethylene glycol (400) dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol (600)dimethacrylate, polypropylene glycol monomethacrylate, and mixturesthereof. Adhesion promoting monomers include, but are not limited to,alkoxylated trifunctional acrylate ester, metallic diacrylate, modifiedmetallic diacrylate, monofunctional acid ester, trifunctional acidester, trifunctional acrylate ester, trifunctional methacrylate ester,and combinations thereof.

Nonlimiting examples of pigment dispersing monomers, fire retardingmonomers, and metallic coagents include alkoxylated diacrylate,ethoxylated tetrabromo bisphenol A diacrylate, metallic diacrylate,metallic dimethacrylate, metallic monomethacrylate, modified metallicdiacrylate, and modifed metallic dimethacrylate.

Any oligomer is suitable for use with the present invention provided theoligomer has acrylate functionality on the backbone. The molecularweight of the oligomer is preferably as high as possible. For example,the molecular weight may be from about 25,000 to about 500,000. In oneembodiment, the molecular weight of the oligomer is about 100,000 toabout 450,000. In another embodiment, the molecular weight of theoligomer is about 150,000 to about 400,000.

Oligomers according suitable for use with the present invention include,but are not limited to urethane acrylates (discussed in greater detailbelow), urea acrylates, epoxy acrylates, epoxy methacrylates, aromaticacid acrylate half esters, aromatic acid methacrylate half esters, andcombinations thereof. In addition, a suitable oligomer according to thepresent invention may be a polybutadiene end-capped with acrylates.

The viscosity of the oligomer is preferably about 1000 cP to about500,000 cP. In one embodiment, the viscosity of the oligomer is about150,000 cP to about 450,000 cP. In another embodiment, the viscosity ofthe oligomer is about 175,000 cP to about 425,000 cP.

In an alternate embodiment, the oligomer may be a low viscosityoligomer, such as low viscosity aromatic monoacrylate, low viscosityaliphatic diacrylate, low viscosity aliphatic triacrylate, and polyesteracrylate. The viscosity of these oligomers may be about 5000 cP or less,preferably about 1000 cP or less. In one embodiment, the viscosity isabout 40 cP or greater. In another embodiment, the viscosity is about100 cP or greater. In yet another embodiment, the viscosity of theoligomer is about 150 cP or greater. In still another embodiment, theviscosity of the oligomer is about 1000 cP or greater.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the compositions ofthe invention include a polyurethane and/or polyurea precursor withacrylic end caps. The polyurethane precursor may be formed with at leastone isocyanate and at least one polyol, whereas the polyurea precursoris formed from at least one isocyanate and at least one polyamine. Theprecursor are then endcapped with acrylates and mixed with a thermallydecomposing initiator.

Acrylates

Any acrylate capable of endcapping a resilient polymer precursor iscontemplated for use with the present invention. As used herein, theterm “acrylates” is intended to refer to the following genericstructure:

where R₁, R₂, R₃, and R₄ are independently hydrogen, aliphatic, aromaticcarbocyclic, heterocyclic, halogenated perfluoroalkyl,dialkylaminoalkyl, or substituted moieties, each having less than about20 carbon atoms. In one embodiment, R1 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl moietysuch as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl,methylhexyl, ethylhexyl, n-amyl, isoamyl, n-octyl, stearyl, lauryl, orcyclohexyl moiety.

For example, the acrylate may be at least one of a hydroxy-terminatedacrylate, an amine-terminated acrylate, or a mixture thereof.Non-limiting examples of useful acrylates according to the inventioninclude C1-C8 alkyl esters or glycidyl ester derivatives of unsaturatedcarboxylic acids such as acrylate, methacrylate, methyl methacrylate,ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate,glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, and mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, the acrylate is selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyethyl methacrylates, hydroxypropyl methacrylates, hydroxybutylmethacrylates, trimethylolpropane monomethacrylates and dimethacrylates,pentaerythritol monomethacrylates, dimethacrylates, trimethacrylates,dipentaerythritol monomethacrylates, dimethacrylates, trimethacrylates,tetramethacrylates, and pentamethacrylates, neopentyl glycolmethacrylates, hexanediol monomethacrylates,tris(2-hydroxyethyl)isocyanurate monomethacrylates and dimethacrylates,polypropylene glycol monomethacrylates, polyethylene glycolmonomethacrylates, polypropylene/polyethylene glycol monomethacrylates,polybutyl glycol monomethacrylates, polytetramethylene glycolmonomethacrylates, hydroxy polycaprolacton monomethacrylates,ethoxylated and propoxylated derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.

Polyurethane Precursors

The compositions of the invention may include a polyurethane precursoras the backbone, where the precursor is a product formed by a reactionbetween at least one diisocyanate and at least one polyol. Thecomponents of the polyurethane precursor may be aromatic,aromatic-aliphatic, or aliphatic, which provide varying degrees of lightstability. As used herein, aromatic aliphatic compounds should beunderstood as those containing an aromatic ring, wherein the isocyanategroup is not directly bonded to the ring. One example of an aromaticaliphatic compound is a tetramethylene diisocyanate (TMXDI).

Along a continum, an aromatic composition is less light stable than anaromatic-aliphatic composition, which is less light stable than analiphatic composition. For example, an aliphatic composition madeaccording to the invention includes only saturated components, i.e.,components substantially free of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds oraromatic groups, which prevents yellowing over time. The term“saturated,” as used herein, refers to compositions having saturatedaliphatic and alicyclic polymer backbones, i.e., with no carbon-carbondouble bonds. It is important to note, however, that aromaticcompositions made according to the invention may include lightstabilizers to improve light stability. Thus, light stability may beaccomplished in a variety of ways for the purposes of this application.

Isocyanates for use with the polyurethane precursor include aliphatic,cycloaliphatic, aromatic aliphatic, aromatic, derivatives thereof, andcombinations of these compounds having two or more isocyanate (NCO)groups per molecule. As briefly mentioned above, however, the isocyanateis preferably saturated to improve the light stability of thecomposition of the invention. The isocyanates may be organicpolyisocyanate-terminated precursors, low free isocyanate precursors,and mixtures thereof. The isocyanate-containing reactable component mayalso include any isocyanate-functional monomer, dimer, trimer, ormultimeric adduct thereof, precursor, quasi-precursor, or mixturesthereof. Isocyanate-functional compounds may include monoisocyanates orpolyisocyanates that include any isocyanate functionality of two ormore.

Suitable isocyanate-containing components include diisocyanates havingthe generic structure: O═C═N—R—N═C═O, where R is preferably a cyclic orlinear or branched hydrocarbon moiety containing from about 1 to 20carbon atoms. The diisocyanate may also contain one or more cyclicgroups. When multiple cyclic groups are present, linear and/or branchedhydrocarbons containing from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms can be presentas spacers between the cyclic groups. In some cases, the cyclic group(s)may be substituted at the 2-, 3-, and/or 4-positions, respectively.Substituted groups may include, but are not limited to, halogens,primary, secondary, or tertiary hydrocarbon groups, or a mixturethereof.

Examples of saturated (aliphatic) diisocyanates that can be used in thepolyurethane precursor include, but are not limited to, ethylenediisocyanate; propylene-1,2-diisocyanate; tetramethylene diisocyanate;tetramethylene-1,4-diisocyanate; 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI);HDI biuret prepared from HDI; octamethylene diisocyanate; decamethylenediisocyanate; 2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate;2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate; dodecane-1,12-diisocyanate;cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate; cyclohexane-1,2-diisocyanate;cyclohexane-1,3-diisocyanate; cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate;methylcyclohexylene diisocyanate (HTDI); 2,4-methylcyclohexanediisocyanate; 2,6-methylcyclohexane diisocyanate; 4,4′-dicyclohexyldiisocyanate; 2,4′-dicyclohexyl diisocyanate; 1,3,5-cyclohexanetriisocyanate; isocyanatomethylcyclohexane isocyanate;1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane;isocyanatoethylcyclohexane isocyanate; bis(isocyanatomethyl)-cyclohexanediisocyanate; 4,4′-bis(isocyanatomethyl)dicyclohexane;2,4′-bis(isocyanatomethyl)dicyclohexane; isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI);triisocyanate of HDI; triisocyanate of 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediisocyanate (TMDI); 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI);2,4-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate; 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate;aromatic aliphatic isocyanate, such as 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-xylenediisocyanate; meta-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate (m-TMXDI);para-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate (p-TMXDI); trimerized isocyanurateof any polyisocyanate, such as isocyanurate of toluene diisocyanate,trimer of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, trimer of tetramethylxylenediisocyanate, isocyanurate of hexamethylene diisocyanate, isocyanurateof isophorone diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof; dimerized uretdione ofany polyisocyanate, such as uretdione of toluene diisocyanate, uretdioneof hexamethylene diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof; modifiedpolyisocyanate derived from the above isocyanates and polyisocyanates;and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the saturated diisocyanatesinclude isophoronediisocyanate (IPDI), 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethanediisocyanate (H₁₂MDI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), or acombination thereof.

As briefly discussed, aromatic aliphatic isocyanates may also be used toform the polyurethane precursor. While use of aromatic aliphaticmaterials does not confer the same amount of light stability to theresultant product compared to those including purely aliphaticmaterials, it does provide a greater degree of light stability to theresultant product compared to those formed with purely aromaticmaterials. Examples of aromatic aliphatic isocyanates include 1,2-,1,3-, and 1,4-xylene diisocyanate; meta-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate(m-TMXDI); para-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate (p-TMXDI); trimerizedisocyanurate of any polyisocyanate, such as isocyanurate of toluenediisocyanate, trimer of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, trimer oftetramethylxylene diisocyanate, isocyanurate of hexamethylenediisocyanate, and mixtures thereof; dimerized uretdione of anypolyisocyanate, such as uretdione of toluene diisocyanate, uretdione ofhexamethylene diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof; a modifiedpolyisocyanate derived from the above isocyanates and polyisocyanates;and mixtures thereof. In addition, the aromatic aliphatic isocyanatesmay be mixed with any of the saturated isocyanates listed above for thepurposes of this invention.

Unsaturated diisocyanates, i.e., aromatic compounds, may also be usedwith the present invention, although the use of unsaturated compounds inthe precursor is preferably coupled with the use of a light stabilizeror pigment as discussed below. Examples of unsaturated diisocyanatesinclude, but are not limited to, substituted and isomeric mixturesincluding 2,2′-, 2,4′-, and 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI),3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenyl diisocyanate (TODI), toluene diisocyanate(TDI), polymeric MDI (PMDI, a brown liquid composed of approximately 50%methylene diisocyanate with the remainder comprised of oligomers ofMDI), carbodimide-modified liquid 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate,para-phenylene diisocyanate (PPDI), meta-phenylene diisocyanate (MPDI),triphenylmethane-4,4′-, and triphenylmethane-4,4″-triisocyanate,napthylene-1,5,-diisocyanate, 2,4′-, 4,4′-, and 2,2′-biphenyldiisocyanate, polyphenylene polymethylene polyisocyanate (PMDI) (alsoknown as polymeric PMDI), and mixtures thereof.

An isocyanate group reacts with the hydroxyl groups of a polyol to formthe repeating urethane linkage, which have the following generalstructure:

where x is the chain length, i.e., about 1 or greater, and R and R₁ arestraight chain or branched hydrocarbon chain having about 1 to about 20carbons. In one embodiment, the backbone includes about 10 percent orgreater urethane linkages.

The polyol suitable for the present invention may be organic, modifiedorganic, saturated, aliphatic, alicyclic, unsaturated, araliphatic,aromatic, substituted, or unsubstituted. The polyol preferably has twoor more reactive hydrogen groups per molecule, such as primary orsecondary hydroxyl groups or amine groups, and at least one cyclic,aromatic, aliphatic, linear, branched, or substituted hydrocarbon moietycontaining from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, such as arylenes,aralkylenes, alkylenes, or cycloalkylenes. When multiple cyclic oraromatic groups are present, linear, branched or substitutedhydrocarbons containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms can be presentas spacers between such cyclic or aromatic groups. In some cases, thecyclic or aromatic group(s) may be substituted at the 2-(ortho-),3-(meta-), and/or 4-(para-) positions. Substituted groups may include,but are not limited to, halogens, cyano groups, amine groups, silylgroups, hydroxyl groups, acid groups, alkoxy groups, primary orsecondary or tertiary hydrocarbon groups, or a combination of two ormore groups thereof. Any and all of the polyols disclosed herein may beused alone or in combination of two or more thereof.

The polyol may be hydroxy- and/or amine-terminated oligomers or polymersprefer ably used in forming a precursor with the isocyanate, or hydroxy-and/or amine-containing compounds reactive to the precursor or theisocyanate, preferably used as curing agents for chain-extension and/orcrosslink. The hydroxyl and/or amine groups may be terminal or pendantgroups on the oligomeric or polymeric backbone, and in the case ofsecondary amine groups, may even be embedded within the backbone.

Suitable hydroxy-terminated oligomers or polymers has a molecular weightof at least about 200 and at least two primary or secondary hydroxylterminal groups per molecule, and include, but are not limited tohydroxy-terminated polyethers, hydroxy-terminated polyesters,hydroxy-terminated polycaprolactones, hydroxy-terminated polycarbonates,hydroxy-terminated polyhydrocarbons, hydroxy-terminated acid functionaloligomers or polymers (or ionomers thereof derived from partial or fullneutralization with organic or inorganic cations), and the like.

Suitable hydroxy-terminated polyethers include, but are not limited topolytetramethylene ether glycol (“PTMEG”); low-molecular-weight PTMEG;modified PTMEG; hydroxy-terminated copolymer of polytetrahydrofuran andpolymethyltetrahydrofuran (“PTG-L”); poly(oxyethylene)glycol;poly(oxypropylene)glycol; (ethylene oxide)-cappedpoly(oxypropylene)ether glycol; poly(oxyethylene-co-oxypropylene)glycol; and mixtures thereof.

Suitable hydroxy-terminated polyesters include, but are not limited to,poly(ethylene adipate)glycol; poly(butylene adipate)glycol;poly(hexamethylene adipate)glycol; poly(ethylene propyleneadipate)glycol; poly(ethylene butylene adipate)glycol;poly(hexamethylene butylene adipate)glycol;(o-phthalate-1,6-hexanediol)-based polyester polyol; poly(ethyleneterephthalate)-based polyester polyol, and mixtures thereof.

Suitable hydroxy-terminated polycaprolactones include, but are notlimited to, (alkylene oxide)-initiated polycaprolactones; (ethyleneglycol)-initiated polycaprolactone; (diethylene glycol)-initiatedpolycaprolactone; (propylene glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;(dipropylene glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;1,4-butanediol-initiated polycaprolactone; trimethylolpropane-initiatedpolycaprolactone; (neopentyl glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;1,6-hexanediol-initiated polycaprolactone; PTMEG-initiatedpolycaprolactone; 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol initiatedpolycaprolactone; and mixtures thereof.

Examples of suitable hydroxy-terminated polycarbonates include, but arenot limited to poly(phthalate carbonate)glycol; poly(hexamethylenecarbonate)glycol; poly(1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene carbonate)glycol;(bisphenol A)-based polycarbonate glycols; and mixtures thereof.

Non limiting examples of hydroxy-terminated polyhydrocarbons includepolyisoprene polyol (a.k.a. liquid isoprene rubber); poly(hydrogenatedisoprene)polyol; polybutadiene polyol; poly(hydrogenatedbutadiene)polyol; and mixtures thereof.

Hydroxy-terminated acid functional oligomers or polymers that may usedwith the present invention include, but are not limited to, dimerate ortrimerate polyols of fatty acids or isostearic acid; acid functionalpolyols as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,784; and

Other hydroxy-terminated polymers may be used with the presentinvention, such as hydroxy-terminated polyolefins; hydroxy-terminatedpolyamides; glycerol-based polyols; (castor oil)-based polyols;hydroxy-terminated alkylene-styrene copolymers (a.k.a. Kraton® polyols);and hydroxy-terminated acrylic polyols.

Saturated members of the above-listed hydroxy-terminated oligomers orpolymers are preferred for use in the present invention, because theyafford superior light stability when incorporated into the golf ballcompositions of the invention. Saturated hydroxy-terminated polymers maybe aliphatic, alicyclic, or fully hydrogenated. Exemplary saturatedhydroxy-terminated polymers include, but are not limited to, PTMEG;low-molecular-weight PTMEG; modified PTMEG; PTG-L;poly(oxyethylene)glycol; poly(oxypropylene)glycol; (ethyleneoxide)-capped poly(oxypropylene)ether glycol; poly(ethyleneadipate)glycol; poly(butylene adipate)glycol; poly(hexamethyleneadipate)glycol; poly(ethylene propylene adipate) glycol; poly(ethylenebutylene adipate)glycol; poly(hexamethylene butylene adipate)glycol;(alkylene oxide)-initiated polycaprolactones; (ethyleneglycol)-initiated polycaprolactone; (diethylene glycol)-initiatedpolycaprolactone; (propylene glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;(dipropylene glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;1,4-butanediol-initiated polycaprolactone; trimethylolpropane-initiatedpolycaprolactone; (neopentyl glycol)-initiated polycaprolactone;1,6-hexanediol-initiated polycaprolactone; PTMEG-initiatedpolycaprolactone; poly(hexamethylene carbonate)glycol; saturatedpoly(hydrogenated isoprene)polyol; saturated poly(hydrogenatedbutadiene)polyol; saturated dimerate or trimerate polyols of fatty acidsor isostearic acid; saturated hydroxy-terminated polyolefins; saturatedhydroxy-terminated polyamides; saturated glycerol-based polyols;saturated (castor oil)-based polyols; and saturated hydroxy-terminatedalkylene-styrene copolymers.

Suitable amine-terminated oligomers or polymers preferably havemolecular weights of at least about 200 and at least two primary orsecondary amine terminal groups per molecule. Because lower molecularweight amine-terminated polymers may be prone to forming solids, a highmolecular weight between about 1,000 and about 5,000 is more preferred.

Exemplary amine-terminated oligomers or polymers include, but notlimited to, amine-terminated polyethers and other amine-terminatedpolymers. Suitable amine-terminated polyethers include, but are notlimited to polyoxyalkylene diamines; polyoxyethylene diamines,polyoxypropylene diamines; polyoxypropylene triamine;poly(tetramethylene ether)diamines; (ethylene oxide)-cappedpolyoxypropylene ether diamines, poly(triethyleneglycol)diamines;poly(trimethylolpropane)triamines;polyethyleneglycol-di(p-aminobenzoate);polytetramethyleneoxide-di(p-aminobenzoate); glycerin-based triamines;and mixtures thereof. Other amine-terminated polymers include, but arenot limited toamine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminatedpolycaprolactones, amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminatedpolyhydrocarbons, amine-terminated acid functional polymers,amine-terminated polyolefins, amine-terminated polyamides, andamine-terminated polyacrylics, preferably prepared from the above-listedhydroxy-terminated polymers using a method including, for example,reductive amination of polyether polyols with ammonia and hydrogen inthe presence of a catalyst (Belgian Patent No. 634,741, U.S. Pat. Nos.5,015,773, 5,003,107, and 3,654,370); hydrogenation of cyanoethylatedpolyols (German Patent No. 1,193,671); amination of polyol/sulfonic acidesters (U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,895); reacting polyols with epichlorohydrinand a primary amine (French Patent No. 1,466,708); or those listed inthe publication “Jeffamine, Polyoxypropylene Amines” by Texaco ChemicalCo., 1978.

Saturated members of the above-listed amine-terminated polymers arepreferred for use in the present invention, because they afford superiorlight stability when incorporated into the golf ball compositions of theinvention. Saturated amine-terminated polymers may be aliphatic,alicyclic, or fully hydrogenated. Exemplary saturated amine-terminatedpolymers include, but are not limited to, polyoxyalkylene diamines;polyoxyethylene diamines; polyoxypropylene diamines; polyoxypropylenetriamine; poly(tetramethylene ether)diamines; (ethylene oxide)-cappedpolyoxypropylene ether diamines; poly(triethyleneglycol)diamines;poly(trimethylolpropane)triamines; saturated glycerin-based triamines;saturated amine-terminated polyesters; saturated amine-terminatedpolycaprolactones; saturated amine-terminated polycarbonates; saturatedamine-terminated polyhydrocarbons; saturated amine-terminated acidfunctional polymers; saturated amine-terminated polyolefins; saturatedamine-terminated polyamides; and saturated amine-terminatedpolyacrylics.

In one embodiment, the polyol is based on a hydrophobic backbone. Byusing polyols based on a hydrophobic backbone, the polyurethanecompositions of the invention may be more water resistant than thosepolyurethane compositions having polyols without a hydrophobic backbone.Some non-limiting examples of polyols based on a hydrophobic backboneinclude hydrocarbon polyols, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene polyols,polyethers, polycaprolactones, and polyesters.

As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the polyurethaneprecursor contains some amount of free isocyanate monomer. Thus, in oneembodiment, the polyurethane precursor may be stripped of freeisocyanate monomer. For example, after stripping, the precursor maycontain about 1 percent or less free isocyanate monomer. In anotherembodiment, the precursor contains about 0.5 percent by weight or lessof free isocyanate monomer.

Polyurea Precursors

The compositions of the invention may also be based on a polyureaprecursor, where the precursor is a product formed by a reaction betweenat least one diisocyanate and at least one amine-terminated compound.The polyurea precursors are preferably saturated and, therefore, in oneembodiment, the precursor is the product of a reaction between at leastone saturated diisocyanate and at least one saturated amine-terminatedcompound.

For the purposes of the present invention, the polyurea precursorsinclude primarily urea linkages having the following general structure:

where x is the chain length, i.e., about 1 or greater, and R and R₁ arestraight chain or branched hydrocarbon chain having about 1 to about 20carbons. In one embodiment, the precursor includes about 10 percent orgreater urea linkages.

It should be understood that polymer precursors for use with the presentinvention that are based on urea linkages preferably provide acomparable or greater degree of softness to the resulting elastomer asthat of a polymer segment based on urethane linkages. In fact, the maindifference between the polyurethane precursors discussed above and thepolyurea precursors discussed in this section is the substitution of thepolyol component with an amine-terminated compound. Therefore, theisocyanates suitable for inclusion in the polyurea precursors are thesame as those listed above with respect to the polyurethane segment,which are incorporated by reference here. And, as above, while saturatedisocyanates are preferred, aromatic aliphatic isocyanates and aromaticisocyanates are contemplated for use with the present invention.

It should also be understood, however, that a polymer precursorincluding primarily urea linkages may have distinctly differentproperties than a polymer including primarily urethane linkages due tothe substitution of the polyol with the amine-terminated compound. Forexample, a polyurea precursor used according to the present invention,i.e., encapped with acrylate functionality, may provide different shear,cut, resiliency, and adhesion properties to the resultant elastomer ascompared to an elastomer formed with a polyurethane precursor withacrylate functionality.

Any amine-terminated compound available to one of ordinary skill in theart is suitable for use in the polyurea precursor. For example, theamine-terminated compound may include amine-terminated hydrocarbons,amine-terminated polyethers, amine-terminated polyesters,amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminated polycaprolactones, andmixtures thereof. The amine-terminated segments may be in the form of aprimary amine (NH₂), a secondary amine (NHR), or mixtures thereof.Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/409,144, filed Apr. 9,2003, entitled “Polyurea and Polyurethane Compositions for GolfEquipment,” which is incorporated by reference herein, disclosessuitable amine-terminated compounds for use with the present invention.

The molecular weight of the amine-terminated compound for use in theinvention may range from about 100 to about 10,000. As used herein, theterm “about” is used in connection with one or more numbers or numericalranges, and should be understood to refer to all such numbers, includingall numbers in a range. In one embodiment, the amine-terminated compoundis about 500 or greater, preferably about 1000 or greater, and even morepreferably about 2000 or greater. In another embodiment, theamine-terminated compound molecular weight is about 8000 or less,preferably about 4,000 or less, and more preferably about 3,000 or less.For example, in one embodiment, the molecular weight of theamine-terminated compound is about 1000 to about 4000. Because lowermolecular weight polyether amines may be prone to forming solidpolyureas, a higher molecular weight oligomer may be used to avoid solidformation.

In one embodiment, the amine-terminated compound includesamine-terminated hydrocarbons having the following generic structures:

where x is the chain length, i.e., 1 or greater, n is preferably about 1to about 12, and R is any alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20carbon atoms, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenylgroup, a cyclic group, or mixture thereof.

The amine-terminated compound may also includes amine-terminatedpolyethers having following generic structures:

where x is the chain length, i.e., 1 or greater, n is preferably about 1to about 12, and R is any alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20carbon atoms, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenylgroup, a cyclic group, or mixture thereof. One example of anamine-terminated polyether is a polyether amine. As used herein,“polyether amine” refers to a polyoxyalkyleneamine containing primaryamino groups attached to the terminus of a polyether backbone. Due tothe rapid reaction of isocyanate and amine, and the insolubility of manyurea products, however, the selection of diamines and polyether aminesis limited to those allowing the successful formation of the polyureaprecursors. In one embodiment, the polyether backbone is based ontetramethylene, propylene, ethylene, trimethylolpropane, glycerin, andmixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, the polyether amine has the generic structure:

wherein the repeating unit x has a value ranging from about 1 to about70, R is any alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms,preferably about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a cyclicgroup, or mixture thereof, and R₃ is a hydrogen, methyl group, or amixture thereof. Even more preferably, the repeating unit may be fromabout 5 to about 50, and even more preferably is from about 12 to about35.

In another embodiment, the polyether amine has the generic structure:

wherein the repeating units x and z have combined values from about 3.6to about 8 and the repeating unit y has a value ranging from about 9 toabout 50, R is an alkyl group having about 1 to about 20 carbons, aphenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, R₁ is —(CH₂)_(a)—,wherein “a” may be a repeating unit ranging from about 1 to about 10, aphenylene group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, and R₃ is ahydrogen, methyl group, or a mixture thereof.

In yet another embodiment, the polyether amine has the genericstructure:H₂N—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—NH₂;H₂N—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—NHR; orRHN—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—O—(R₁)—NHRwherein R is an alkyl group having about 1 to about 20 carbons, phenylgroups, cyclic groups, or mixtures thereof, and wherein R₁ is—(CH₂)_(a)—, wherein “a” may be a repeating unit ranging from about 1 toabout 10, a phenylene group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof.

Suitable polyether amines include, but are not limited to,methyldiethanolamine; polyoxyalkylenediamines such as,polytetramethylene ether diamines, polyoxypropylenetriamine,polyoxyethylene diamines, and polyoxypropylene diamines; poly(ethyleneoxide capped oxypropylene)ether diamines; propylene oxide-basedtriamines; triethyleneglycoldiamines; trimethylolpropane-basedtriamines; glycerin-based triamines; and mixtures thereof. In oneembodiment, the polyether amine used to form the precursor is Jeffamine®D2000 (manufactured by Huntsman Corporation of Austin, Tex.).

The molecular weight of the polyether amine for use in the invention mayrange from about 100 to about 5000. In one embodiment, the polyetheramine molecular weight is about 200 or greater, preferably about 230 orgreater. In another embodiment, the molecular weight of the polyetheramine is about 4000 or less. In yet another embodiment, the molecularweight of the polyether amine is about 600 or greater. In still anotherembodiment, the molecular weight of the polyether amine is about 3000 orless. In yet another embodiment, the molecular weight of the polyetheramine is between about 1000 and about 4000, preferably about 1000 toabout 4000, and more preferably is between about 1500 to about 2500.Because lower molecular weight polyether amines may be prone to formingsolid polyureas during precursor preparation, a higher molecular weightoligomer, such as Jeffamine® D2000, is preferred.

In addition, the amine-terminated compound may include amine-terminatedpolyesters having the generic structures:

where x is the chain length, i.e., 1 or greater, preferably about 1 toabout 20, R is any alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbonatoms, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, acyclic group, or mixture thereof, and R₁ and R₂ are straight or branchedhydrocarbon chains, e.g., alkyl or aryl chains.

Copolymers of polycaprolactone and polyamines may also be used to formthe polyurea segments of the present invention. These copolymersinclude, but are not limited to, bis(2-aminoethyl)ether initiatedpolycaprolactone, 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol,2-2(aminoethylamino)ethanol, polyoxyethylene diamine initiatedpolycaprolactone, propylene diamine initiated polycaprolactone,polyoxypropylene diamine initiated polycaprolactone, 1,4-butanediamineinitiated polycaprolactone, trimethylolpropane-based triamine initiatedpolycaprolactone, neopentyl diamine initiated polycaprolactone,hexanediamine initiated polycaprolactone, polytetramethylene etherdiamine initiated polycaprolactone, and mixtures thereof. In addition,polycaprolactone polyamines having the following structures may beuseful in forming the polyurea segments of the present invention:

where x is the chain length, i.e., 1 or greater, preferably about 1 toabout 20, R is one of an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20carbons, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, or acyclic group, and R₁ is a straight or branched hydrocarbon chainincluding about 1 to about 20 carbons.

where x is the chain length, i.e., 1 or greater, preferably about 1 toabout 20, R is one of an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20carbons, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, or acyclic group, and R₁ is a straight or branched hydrocarbon chainincluding about 1 to about 20 carbons.

In another embodiment, the amine-terminated compound may be anamine-terminated polycarbonate having one of the following genericstructures:

where x is the chain length, which preferably ranges from about 1 toabout 20, R is one of an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20carbons, preferably about 1 to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, or acyclic group, and R₁ is a straight chain hydrocarbon or predominantlybisphenol A units or derivatives thereof.

Amine-terminated polyamides may also be reacted with the isocyanatecomponent to form the polyurea segment of the present invention.Suitable amine-terminated polyamides include, but are not limited to,those having following structures:

where x is the chain length, i.e., about 1 or greater, R is one of analkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, preferably about 1to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, or a cyclic group, R₁ is an alkylgroup having about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, or acyclic group, and R₂ is an alkyl group having about 1 to about 12 carbonatoms (straight or branched), a phenyl group, or a cyclic group.

Additional amine-terminated compounds that may also be useful in formingthe polyurea segments of the present invention include, but are notlimited to, poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene);poly(1,4-butanediol)bis(4-aminobenzoate) in liquid or waxy solid form;linear and branched polyethylenimine; low and high molecular weightpolyethylenimine having an average molecular weight of about 500 toabout 30,000; poly(propylene glycol)bis(2-aminopropyl ether) having anaverage molecular weight of about 200 to about 5,000;polytetrahydrofuran bis(3-aminopropyl) terminated having an averagemolecular weight of about 200 to about 2000; and mixtures thereof, allof which are available from Aldrich of Milwaukee, Wis.

Thus, in one embodiment, the polyurea segment includes apoly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) having one of the following structures:

wherein x and y are chain lengths, i.e., greater than about 1, R is anyalkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, preferablyabout 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, ormixture thereof, R₁ is a hydrogen, methyl group, cyano group, phenylgroup, or a mixture thereof, and R₂ is a hydrogen, a methyl group,chloride, or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the y:x ratio isabout 82:18 to about 90:10. In other words, thepoly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) may have from about 10 percent to about18 percent acrylonitrile by weight.

In another embodiment, the polyurea segment includes apoly(1,4-butanediol)bis(4-aminobenzoate) having one of the followingstructures:

where x and n are chain lengths, i.e., 1 or greater, and n is preferablyabout 1 to about 12, R and R₁ are linear or branched hydrocarbon chains,an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, preferably about1 to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixturesthereof, and R₂ is a hydrogen, a methyl group, or a mixture thereof. Inone embodiment, R₁ is phenyl, R₂ is hydrogen, and n is about 2.

In yet another embodiment, the polyurea segment includes at least onelinear or branched polyethyleneimine having one of the followingstructures:

wherein x and y are chain lengths, i.e., greater than about 1, R is anyalkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, preferablyabout 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, ormixture thereof, and R₁ is a hydrogen, methyl group, or a mixturethereof. In one embodiment, R₁ is hydrogen. In another embodiment, thepolyurea composition includes a mixture of linear and branchedpolyethyleneimines.

In still another embodiment, the polyurea segment of the presentinvention includes a polytetrahydrofuran bis(3-aminopropyl) terminatedcompound having one of the following structures:

where m and n are chain lengths, i.e., 1 or greater, n is preferablyabout 1 to about 12 and m is preferably about 1 to about 6, R is any onealkyl group having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, preferably about 1to about 12 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixturesthereof, and R₁ and R₂ are hydrogen, methyl groups, or mixtures thereof.In one embodiment, both R₁ and R₂ are hydrogen and both m and n areabout 2.

By using amine-terminated compounds based on a hydrophobic segment, thepolyurea precursors may provide more water resistance than thosepolyurea segments formed with an amine-terminated hydrophilic segment.Thus, in one embodiment, the amine-terminated compound includeshydrophobic backbone, e.g., an unsaturated or saturatedhydrocarbon-based amine-terminated compound. One example of anamine-terminated hydrocarbon is an amine-terminated polybutadiene.

The amine-terminated compound may also be blended with additionalpolyols, as discussed above with respect to the polyurethane precursors.Once a polyol is included in the polyurea precursor, however, the excessisocyanate in the mixture reacts with the hydroxyl groups in the polyoland forms urethane linkages, which results in a precursor that includesboth urea and urethane linkages. Such a precursor is distinct from apolyurea precursor including only an isocyanate and an amine-terminatedcompound or a polyurethane precursor including only an isocyanate and apolyol. For the sake of clarity, this type of segment will be referredto as a polyurea-polyurethane precursor throughout the application.Regardless of the type of precursor, e.g., polyurethane precursor,polyurea precursor, or polyurea-polyurethane precursor, unsaturatedacrylic components are used to endcap at least one end of the precursoraccording to the invention.

Free Radical Source

A free-radical source, often alternatively referred to as a free-radicalinitiator, is preferably used to polymerize the acrylate end-cappedpolymers. Depending on the thickness of the sample, however, thepolymers may also be polymerized using electron beam, ultravioletradiation, gamma radiation, x-rays, or any other high energy radiationsource capable of generating free radicals. It should be furtherunderstood that heat often facilitates initiation of the generation offree radicals.

The free radical initiator used according to the invention is any knownpolymerization initiator (a co-crosslinking agent) which decomposesduring the cure cycle. Examples of suitable initiators include, but arenot limited to, peroxides, persulfates, azo compounds, benzophenones,hydrazides, and combinations thereof.

The free-radical source is preferably a peroxide, more preferably anorganic peroxide, which decomposes during the polymerization cycle.Suitable free-radical sources include organic peroxide compounds, suchas di-t-amyl peroxide, di(2-t-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide orα,α-bis(t-butylperoxy)diisopropylbenzene,1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane or1,1-di(t-butylperoxy)3,3,5-trimethyl cyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide,di-t-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(t-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane,n-butyl-4,4-bis(t-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoylperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and the like, and any mixture thereof.In a preferred embodiment, the peroxide is a poor hydrogen abstractingperoxide such as di-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amyl peroxy-2-ethylhexylcarbonate, t-amyl peroxyacetate, ethyl 3,3-D(t-amylperoxy)butyrate,2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy)propane, and t-amyl perbenzoate.

Commercially available examples include, but are not limited to, theLUPEROX® DTA (Atofina Chemicals of Philadelphia, Pa.), VAROX® 231XL andVAROX® DCP-R (Atofina Chemicals of Philadelphia, Pa.); PERKODOX® BC andPERKODOX® 14 (Akzo Nobel of Chicago, Ill.); and ELASTOCHEM® DCP-70(Rhein Chemie of Trenton, N.J.).

It is well known that peroxides are available in a variety of formshaving different activity. The activity is typically defined by the“active oxygen content.” For example, PERKODOX® BC peroxide is 98percent active and has an active oxygen content of 5.8 percent, whereasPERKODOX® DCP-70 is 70 percent active and has an active oxygen contentof 4.18 percent. The peroxide is typically present in an amount greaterthan about 0.1 parts per hundred of the total resilient polymercomponent, preferably about 0.1 to 15 parts per hundred of the resilientpolymer component, and more preferably about 0.2 to 5 parts per hundredof the total resilient polymer component. If the peroxide is present inpure form, it is preferably present in an amount of at least about 0.25pph, more preferably between about 0.35 pph and about 2.5 pph, and mostpreferably between about 0.5 pph and about 2 pph. Peroxides are alsoavailable in concentrate form, which are well-known to have differingactivities, as described above. In this case, if concentrate peroxidesare employed in the present invention, one skilled in the art would knowthat the concentrations suitable for pure peroxides are easily adjustedfor concentrate peroxides by dividing by the activity. For example, 2pph of a pure peroxide is equivalent 4 pph of a concentrate peroxidethat is 50 percent active (i.e., 2 divided by 0.5=4).

In one embodiment, the amount of free radical source is about 5 pph orless, preferably about 3 pph or less, more preferably about 2.5 pph orless, and even more preferably about 2 pph or less. In still anotherembodiment, the amount of free radical source is about 1 pph or less,preferably about 0.75 pph or less.

A catalyst may also be employed to lower the initiation temperature if ahigher temperature free radical initiator is used. A suitable catalystmay include cobalt, which is commercially available from OMG Industriesunder the tradename COBALT TEN-CEM®, COBALT HEX-CEM®, and COBALTCEM-ALL.

As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the catalystconcentration is highly dependent on the choice of the peroxide and curecycle. Thus, a skilled artisan would be able to select the appropriatecatalyst concentration once the peroxide and cure cycle are known. Inone embodiment, the catalyst is included in the compositions of theinvention in an amount of about 0.005 percent to about 1 percent. Inanother embodiment, the catalyst is present in an amount of about 0.05weight percent or greater. In another embodiment, the catalyst ispresent in an amount of about 0.5 weight percent or greater.

Methods of Forming

The compositions of the invention may be formed using a variety ofmethods. For example, in one embodiment, when forming a urethane or ureaprecursor end-capped with acrylate(s), the composition may be formedusing a one-step method, wherein the isocyanate, polyol or polyamine,respectively, and acrylate are mixed and reacted all at once. In anotherembodiment, a molar excess of isocyanate is reacted with a polyol orpolyamine to form a polyurethane precursor or polyurea precursor,respectively. The precursor is then mixed and reacted with the acrylatein a subsequent step. Regardless of whether a one-step or two-process isused, the reaction product, which has acrylate functionalities, is thenreacted or crosslinked with a free radical mechanism. Those of ordinaryskill in the art would recognize that, in addition to the examplesdiscussed above and below, other suitable methods exist for forming theacrylate functional monomers and oligomers of the present invention.

Reaction schemes 1-3, shown below, provide examples of the chemistryinvolved when forming urethane acrylates according to the invention:

where R may be polyether-based, polyester-based, polycaprolactone-based,polycarbonate-based, hydrocarbon based, acrylic based, and polyamidebased, depending on the specific type of polyol employed, and where nand m are chain lengths, i.e., about 1 or greater. In one embodiment, nis from about 1 to about 100. While this reaction scheme uses H₁₂MDI asthe isocyanate to form the polyurethane segment, any isocyanate may besubstituted. In one embodiment, the molecular weight of the polyolemployed is about 200 to about 6000. In addition, the viscosity of thepolyol employed is preferably about 100 cPs to about 10,000 cPs attemperatures of 25° C. to 110° C.

where R may be polyether-based, polyester-based, polycaprolactone-based,polycarbonate-based, hydrocarbon based, acrylic based, and polyamidebased, depending on the specific type of polyol employed. In oneembodiment, the molecular weight of the polyol employed is about 200 toabout 6000. In addition, the viscosity of the polyol employed ispreferably about 100 cPs to about 10,000 cPs at temperatures of 25° C.to 110° C. R₁ may be cyclic, aromatic, aliphatic, linear, branched, orsubstituted hydrocarbon moiety including from 0.1 to about 20 carbonatoms, e.g., arylenes, aralkylenes, alkylenes, or cycloalkylenes. Whenmultiple cyclic or aromatic groups are present, linear, branched orsubstituted hydrocarbons containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms canbe present as spacers between such cyclic or aromatic groups. In somecases, the cyclic or aromatic group(s) may be substituted at the2-(ortho-), 3-(meta-), and/or 4-(para-) positions. Substituted groupsmay include, but are not limited to, halogens, cyano groups, aminegroups, silyl groups, hydroxyl groups, acid groups, alkoxy groups,primary or secondary or tertiary hydrocarbon groups, or a combination oftwo or more groups thereof.

where R₁ may be cyclic, aromatic, aliphatic, linear, branched, orsubstituted hydrocarbon moiety including from 1 to about 20 carbonatoms, e.g., arylenes, aralkylenes, alkylenes, or cycloalkylenes. Whenmultiple cyclic or aromatic groups are present, linear, branched orsubstituted hydrocarbons containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms canbe present as spacers between such cyclic or aromatic groups. In somecases, the cyclic or aromatic group(s) may be substituted at the2-(ortho-), 3-(meta-), and/or 4-(para-) positions. Substituted groupsmay include, but are not limited to, halogens, cyano groups, aminegroups, silyl groups, hydroxyl groups, acid groups, alkoxy groups,primary or secondary or tertiary hydrocarbon groups, or a combination oftwo or more groups thereof. R₂ may be polyether-based, polyester-based,polycaprolactone-based, polycarbonate-based, hydrocarbon based, acrylicbased, and polyamide based, depending on the specific type of polyolemployed. In one embodiment, the molecular weight of the polyol employedis about 200 to about 6000. In addition, the viscosity of the polyolemployed is preferably about 100 cPs to about 10,000 cPs at temperaturesof 25° C. to 110° C.

The general chemistry behind urea acrylates differs from the urethaneacrylates in that the urethane linkages are substituted with urealinkages. For example, the polyol in reaction scheme is substituted withan amine-terminated compound discussed above to provide the polyureasegment, which is then reacted with acrylic acid to provide ureaacrylate.

The final product will contain acrylate functionalities and may bepolymerized or crosslinked with a free radical source.

Other Additives

Additional materials may be added to the compositions of the inventionincluding, but not limited to, coloring agents or dyes, opticalbrighteners, crosslinking agents, whitening agents such as TiO₂ and ZnO,UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, defoaming agents,processing aids, softening agents, plasticizers, surfactants, impactmodifiers, fillers, reinforcing materials, compatibilizers, couplingagents, zinc diacrylate, and other conventional additives. Theadditional materials may be thermoplastic or thermoset in nature. Thoseof ordinary skill in the art are aware of the purpose of these additivesand the amounts that should be employed to fulfill those purposes.

For example, fillers may be added to the compositions of the inventionto affect rheological and mixing properties, the specific gravity (i.e.,density-modifying fillers), the modulus, the tear strength,reinforcement, and the like. The fillers are generally inorganic, andsuitable fillers include numerous metals, metal oxides and salts, suchas zinc oxide and tin oxide, as well as barium sulfate, zinc sulfate,calcium carbonate, zinc carbonate, barium carbonate, clay, tungsten,tungsten carbide, an array of silicas (such as colloidal silica),regrind (recycled core material typically ground to about 30 meshparticle), high-Mooney-viscosity rubber regrind, and mixtures thereof.

In addition, the compositions of the invention may contain at least onelight stabilizing component. As used herein, light stabilizer may beunderstood to include hindered amine light stabilizers, ultraviolet (UV)absorbers, and antioxidants. While the compositions of the inventionpreferably include only saturated components, which are typicallyresistant to discoloration, they are not immune to deterioration intheir mechanical properties upon weathering. Addition of UV absorbersand light stabilizers to any of the above compositions may help tomaintain the tensile strength, elongation, and color stability. The useof light stabilizing components also may assist in preventing coversurface fractures due to photodegredation. Suitable light stabilizersinclude, but are not limited to, TINUVIN® 292, TINUVIN® 328, TINUVIN®213, TINUVIN® 765, TINUVIN® 770 and TINUVIN® 622. TINUVIN® products areavailable from Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Tarrytown, N.Y. In oneembodiment, the light stabilizer is UV absorber TINUVIN® 328, which isuseful with aromatic compounds. In another embodiment, hindered aminelight stabilizer TINUVIN® 765 is used with aromatic or aliphaticcompounds. In addition, TINUVIN® 292 may also be used with the aromaticor aliphatic compositions of the invention.

As discussed above, dyes, as well as optical brighteners and fluorescentpigments may also be included in the golf ball covers produced withpolymers formed according to the present invention. Such additionalingredients may be added in any amounts that will achieve their desiredpurpose.

Composition Blends

The compositions of the invention preferably include from about 1percent to about 100 percent urethane or urea acrylate functionalpolymers, however, the compositions may be blended with other acrylates.For example, in one embodiment, the composition contains about 10percent to about 90 percent of the acrylate end-capped polymer of theinvention, preferably from about 10 percent to about 75 percent, andcontains about 90 percent to 10 percent, more preferably from about 90percent to about 25 percent of at least one other acrylate as describedbelow. Unless otherwise stated herein, all percentages are given inpercent by weight of the total composition of the golf ball layer inquestion.

Suitable acrylates for in a composition based on urethane or ureaacrylates include, but are not limited to, epoxy acrylates, epoxymethacrylates, aromatic acid acrylate half esters, aromatic acidmethacrylate half esters, and combinations thereof. Those of ordinaryskill in the art would readily recognize that additional acrylates maybe blended with the urethane or urea acryate functional polymer withoutdetracting from the beneficial properties of such a composition.

Golf Ball Construction

The acrylate functional polymer of the present invention may be usedwith any type of ball construction. For example, one-piece, two-piece,three-piece, and four-piece golf ball designs are contemplated by thepresent invention. In addition, golf balls having double cores,intermediate layer(s), and/or double covers are also useful with thepresent invention. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, thetype of golf ball constructed, i.e., double core, double cover, and thelike, depends on the type of performance desired of the ball. As usedherein, the term “layer” includes any generally spherical portion of agolf ball, i.e., a golf ball core or center, an intermediate layer,and/or a golf ball cover. As used herein, the term “inner layer” refersto any golf ball layer beneath the outermost structural layer of thegolf ball. As used herein, the term “multilayer” means at least twolayers.

The compositions of the invention are intended for use in formingstructural layers having a thickness of about 50 μm or greater. As usedherein, “structural layer” does not include a decorative coating layer,top coat, paint layer, or the like.

In one embodiment, a golf ball 2 according to the invention (as shown inFIG. 1) includes a core 4 and a cover 6, wherein the at least one ofcore 4 and cover 6 incorporates at least one layer including thecastable acrylate functional composition of the invention. Similarly,FIG. 2 illustrates a golf ball according to the invention incorporatingan intermediate layer. Golf ball 8 includes a core 10, a cover 14, andan intermediate layer 12 disposed between the core 10 and cover 14. Anyof the core 10, intermediate layer 12, or cover 14 may incorporate atleast one layer that includes the castable acrylate functionalcompositions of the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a multilayer golf ball16 according to the invention including a large core 18, an outer corelayer, intermediate layer, or inner cover layer 20, and an outer coverlayer 22. Any of the core 18, outer core layer, intermediate layer, orinner cover layer 20, and outer cover layer 22 may include the acrylatefunctional composition of the invention. FIG. 4 shows a four-piece golfball 24 according to the invention including a core 26, an outer corelayer or intermediate layer 28, an inner cover layer 30, and an outercover layer 32. Any of the core 26, outer core layer or intermediatelayer 28, inner cover layer 30, and outer cover layer 32 may include theacrylate functional composition of the invention.

Other non-limiting examples of suitable types of ball constructions thatmay be used with the present invention include those described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,056,842, 5,688,191, 5,713,801, 5,803,831, 5,885,172,5,919,100, 5,965,669, 5,981,654, 5,981,658, and 6,149,535, as well as inPublication Nos. US2001/0009310 A1, US2002/0025862, US2002/0028885,US2002/0151380. The entire disclosures of these patents and publishedpatent applications are incorporated by reference herein. For example,in Publication No. US2002/015380, a golf ball having three or more coverlayers is disclosed, of which any of the layers of the ball may beformed using the acrylate functional compositions of the invention. Inaddition, the compositions of the invention are contemplated for use inlayers of the gradated hardness multilayer golf balls disclosed in U.S.Patent Publication No. 2001/0005699, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

As discussed, the golf balls of the invention include at least onestructural layer that includes the acrylate functional compositions ofthe invention. In addition, as discussed in more detail below, the golfballs of the invention may include core layers, intermediate layers, orcover layers formed from materials known to those of skill in the art.These examples are not exhaustive, as skilled artisans would be awarethat a variety of materials might be used to produce a golf ball of theinvention with desired performance properties.

Core Layer(s)

The cores of the golf balls formed according to the invention may besolid, semi-solid, hollow, fluid-filled, or powder filled, but arepreferably solid and formed with the compositions of the invention. Asused herein, the term “core” means the innermost portion of a golf ball,and may include one or more layers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos.6,180,040 and 6,180,722 disclose methods of preparing dual core golfballs. The entire disclosures of these patents are incorporated byreference herein. The term “semi-solid” as used herein refers to apaste, a gel, or the like. The cores of the golf balls of the inventionmay be spherical, cubical, pyramid-shaped, geodesic, or anythree-dimensional, symmetrical shape.

While the cores of the invention may be formed with the acrylatefunctional compositions of the invention, conventional materials mayalso be used to form the cores. Suitable core materials include, but arenot limited to, thermoset materials, such as rubber, styrene butadiene,polybutadiene, isoprene, polyisoprene, trans-isoprene, and polyurethane,and thermoplastic materials, such as conventional ionomer resins,polyamides, polyesters, and polyurethane. In one embodiment, at leastone layer of the core is formed from a polybutadiene reaction product,such as the reaction products disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No.2003/0119989, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein.

Additional materials may be included in the core layer compositionsoutlined above. For example, catalysts, coloring agents, opticalbrighteners, crosslinking agents, whitening agents such as TiO2 and ZnO,UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, defoaming agents,processing aids, surfactants, and other conventional additives may beadded to the core layer compositions of the invention. In addition,antioxidants, stabilizers, softening agents, plasticizers, includinginternal and external plasticizers, impact modifiers, foaming agents,density-adjusting fillers, reinforcing materials, and compatibilizersmay also be added to any of the core layer compositions. One of ordinaryskill in the art should be aware of the requisite amount for each typeof additive to realize the benefits of that particular additive.

The core may also include one or more wound layers (surrounding a fluidor solid center) including at least one tensioned elastomeric materialwound about the center. In one embodiment, the tensioned elastomericmaterial includes natural or synthetic elastomers or blends thereof, inwhich the synthetic elastomer preferably includes LYCRA. In anotherembodiment, the tensioned elastomeric material incorporates apolybutadiene reaction product as disclosed in co-pending U.S. PatentPublication No. 2003/0119989. In yet another embodiment, the tensionedelastomeric material may also be formed from conventional polyisoprene.In still another embodiment, a polyurea composition (as disclosed inco-pending U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0096936, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety by reference herein) is usedto form the tensioned elastomeric material. In another embodiment,solvent spun polyethers urea, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,535,which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, is used toform the tensioned elastomeric material in an effort to achieve asmaller cross-sectional area with multiple strands.

The tensioned elastomeric layer may also be a high tensile filamenthaving a tensile modulus of about 10,000 kpsi or greater, as disclosedin co-pending U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2002/0160859 and2002/0160862, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated byreference herein.

In another aspect of the invention, the golf balls of the inventioninclude a thin, highly filled core layer, such as the ones disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,494,795, which is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety. A thin, highly filled core layer allows the weight or massof the golf ball to be allocated radially relative to the centroid,thereby dictating the moment of inertia of the ball. When the weight isallocated radially toward the centroid, the moment of inertia isdecreased, and when the weight is allocated outward away from thecentroid, the moment of inertia is increased.

Intermediate Layer(s)

As used herein, “intermediate layer” includes any layer between theinnermost layer of the golf ball and the outermost layer of the golfball. Therefore, intermediate layers may also be referred to as outercore layers, inner cover layers, and the like. When the golf ball of thepresent invention includes an intermediate layer, this layer may beformed from the acrylate functional compositions of the invention.

The intermediate layer may also be formed of conventional materialsknown to those of ordinary skill in the art, including various thermosetand thermoplastic materials, as well as blends thereof. For example, theintermediate layers of the golf ball of the invention may be formed withthe compositions of the invention. The intermediate layer may likewisebe formed, at least in part, from one or more homopolymeric orcopolymeric materials, such as vinyl resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes,polyureas, polyamides, acrylic resins, olefinic thermoplastic rubbers,block copolymers of styrene and butadiene, isoprene or ethylene-butylenerubber, copoly(ether-amide), polyphenylene oxide resins, thermoplasticpolyesters, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene or 1-hexene based homopolymersor copolymers, and the like.

The intermediate layer may also be formed from highly neutralizedpolymers such as those disclosed U.S. Patent Publication No.2001/0018375 and 2001/0019971, which are incorporated herein in theirentirety by express reference thereto; grafted and non-graftedmetallocene catalyzed polyolefins and polyamides, polyamide/ionomerblends, and polyamide/nonionomer blends, such as those disclosed in U.S.Patent Publication No. 2003/0078348, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety; among other polymers. Examples of other suitableintermediate layer materials include blends of some of the abovematerials, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,181, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Additional materials may be included in the intermediate layercompositions outlined above. For example, catalysts, coloring agents,optical brighteners, crosslinking agents, whitening agents such as TiO2and ZnO, UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, defoamingagents, processing aids, surfactants, and other conventional additivesmay be added to the intermediate layer compositions of the invention. Inaddition, antioxidants, stabilizers, softening agents, plasticizers,including internal and external plasticizers, impact modifiers, foamingagents, density-adjusting fillers, reinforcing materials, andcompatibilizers may also be added to any of the intermediate layercompositions. One of ordinary skill in the art should be aware of therequisite amount for each type of additive to realize the benefits ofthat particular additive.

The intermediate layer may also be formed of a binding material and aninterstitial material distributed in the binding material, as discussedin U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0125134, the entire disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein. In addition, at least oneintermediate layer may also be a moisture barrier layer, such as theones described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,488, which is incorporated in itsentirety by reference herein. The intermediate layer may also be formedfrom any of the polyurethane, polyurea, and polybutadiene materialsdiscussed co-pending U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0096936.

Cover Layer(s)

The cover provides the interface between the ball and a club. As usedherein, the term “cover” means the outermost portion of a golf ball. Acover typically includes at least one layer and may contain indentationssuch as dimples and/or ridges. Paints and/or laminates are typicallydisposed about the cover to protect the golf ball during use thereof.The cover may include a plurality of layers, e.g., an inner cover layerdisposed about a golf ball center and an outer cover layer formedthereon.

Inner and/or outer cover layers may be cast from the acrylate functionalcompositions of the invention. Alternatively, both the inner and/orouter cover layers of golf balls of the present invention may be formedof the highly neutralized ionomer compositions, other cover materialsknown to those of skill in the art, or blends thereof. For example, thecover may be formed of polyurea, polyurethane, or mixtures thereof, asdisclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0096936 andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/339,603, filed Jan. 10, 2003,entitled “Polyurethane Compositions for Golf Balls.” The entiredisclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.

In addition, cover layers may also be formed of one or morehomopolymeric or copolymeric materials, such as vinyl resins,polyolefins, conventional polyurethanes and polyureas, such as the onesdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,673, and 5,484,870, polyamides,saturated acrylic resins and blends of these resins with poly vinylchloride, elastomers, and the like, thermoplastic urethanes, olefinicthermplastic rubbers, block copolymers of styrene and butadiene,polyphenylene oxide resins or blends of polyphenylene oxide with highimpact polystyrene, thermoplastic polyesters, ethylene, propylene,1-butene or 1-hexane based homopolymers or copolymers includingfunctional monomers, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate homopolymersand copolymers, low acid ionomers, high acid ionomers, alloys, andmixtures thereof. Those of ordinary skill in the art would recognizethat the saturated acrylic resins mentioned above are distinct from theunsaturated acrylic resins used to endcap the precursors of the presentinvention. For example, the saturated acrylic resins disclosed in theprior art are typically acrylic and methacrylic resins used in ionomerresin compositions. Such acrylic resins are thermoplastic, unreactablematerials. In contrast, the unsaturated acrylic resins for use with thepresent invention are castable and reactive in nature.

The cover may also be at least partially formed from a polybutadienereaction product as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No.2003/0119989.

Additional materials may be included in the cover layer compositionsoutlined above. For example, catalysts, coloring agents, opticalbrighteners, crosslinking agents, whitening agents such as TiO₂ and ZnO,UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, defoaming agents,processing aids, surfactants, and other conventional additives may beadded to the cover layer compositions of the invention. In addition,antioxidants, stabilizers, softening agents, plasticizers, includinginternal and external plasticizers, impact modifiers, foaming agents,density-adjusting fillers, reinforcing materials, and compatibilizersmay also be added to any of the cover layer compositions. Those ofordinary skill in the art should be aware of the requisite amount foreach type of additive to realize the benefits of that particularadditive.

In addition, while hardness gradients are typically used in a golf ballto achieve certain characteristics, the present invention alsocontemplates the compositions of the invention being used in a golf ballwith multiple cover layers having essentially the same hardness, whereinat least one of the layers has been modified in some way to alter aproperty that affects the performance of the ball. Such ballconstructions are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/167,744, filed Jun. 13, 2002, entitled “Golf Ball with MultipleCover Layers,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein.

As discussed above with respect to the core of the golf balls of theinvention, the use of a thin, highly filled layer allows the weight ormass of the golf ball to be allocated radially relative to the centroid,thereby dictating the moment of inertia of the ball. This concept istranslatable to the cover layers of a golf ball. Thus, the inner coverlayer may be a thin, dense layer so as to form a high moment of inertiaball. In this aspect of the invention, the inner cover layer preferablyhas a specific gravity of greater than 1.2, more preferably more than1.5, even more preferably more than 1.8, and most preferably more than2.0. Suitable materials for the thin, dense layer include any materialthat meets the specific gravity stated above. For example, this thin,highly filled inner cover layer may be formed of the radiation-curablecompositions of the invention, adjusting for the requisite specificgravity. Alternatively, the inner cover layer may be formed fromepoxies, styrenated polyesters, polyurethanes or polyureas, liquidPBR's, silicones, silicate gels, agar gels, and the like.

Methods for Forming Golf Ball Components

The golf balls of the invention may be formed using a variety ofapplication techniques such as compression molding, flip molding,injection molding, retractable pin injection molding, reaction injectionmolding (RIM), liquid injection molding (LIM), casting, vacuum forming,powder coating, flow coating, spin coating, dipping, spraying, and thelike depending on the materials used for a specific component. Forexample, the acrylate functional compositions of the invention areparticular useful in casting applications. Thus, golf ball componentsincluding the compositions of the invention may be formed by casting.

A method of injection molding using a split vent pin can be found inco-pending U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0079615 Examples ofretractable pin injection molding may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,129,881, 6,235,230, and 6,379,138. These molding references areincorporated in their entirety by reference herein. In addition, achilled chamber, i.e., a cooling jacket, such as the one disclosed inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/717,136, filed Nov. 22, 2000,entitled “Method of Making Golf Balls” may be used to cool the castablecompositions, which also allows for a lower initiation temperature and ahigher loading of catalyst (if used) into the system.

One skilled in the art would appreciate that the molding method used maybe determined at least partially by the properties of the composition.For example, casting, RIM, or LIM may be preferred when the material isthermoset, whereas compression molding or injection molding may bepreferred for liquid compositions (such as gumstock) or thermoplasticprecursors. In addition, the intermediate layer may also be formed fromusing any suitable method known to those of ordinary skill in the art.For instance, an intermediate layer may be formed by casting and coveredwith a dimpled cover layer formed by injection molding, compressionmolding, casting, vacuum forming, powder coating, and the like.

It is important to note, however, that the compositions of the presentinvention differ from traditional urethane or urea compositions in thatthose compositions are 2-component systems that are mixed and cured. Thecompositions of the present invention, on the other hand, may be singlepack, thermally cured compositions with indefinite pot life. Forexample, the compositions of the present invention may be mixed andstored for an indefinite period of time without curing until it issubjected to a free radical initiator.

In particular, the compositions of the invention may be cast about aninner ball. The casting process is preferably cured in a closed mold. Inan alternate embodiment, the casting process may be performed undernitrogen. In addition, the casting process may be such that one half ofthe layer is formed in a mold with an inner ball partially submergedtherein. The second half of the layer may then be assembled to the firsthalf and cured to form a finished golf ball component.

Any inner layer of the golf balls of the invention may be surfacetreated prior to cover formation to further increase the adhesionbetween the outer surface of the inner ball and the cover. In addition,the outermost cover of the golf balls of the invention may be surfacetreated prior to application of any coating layer. Such surfacetreatment may include mechanically or chemically abrading the outersurface of the subassembly. Additionally, the inner ball may besubjected to corona discharge, plasma treatment, and/or silane dippingprior to forming the cover around it. Other layers of the ball, e.g.,the core, also may be surface treated. Examples of these and othersurface treatment techniques can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,915,which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The methods discussed herein and other manufacturing methods for formingthe golf ball components of the present invention are also disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,207,784 and 5,484,870, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Dimples

The golf balls of the invention are preferably designed with certainflight characteristics in mind. The use of various dimple patterns andprofiles provides a relatively effective way to modify the aerodynamiccharacteristics of a golf ball. As such, the manner in which the dimplesare arranged on the surface of the ball can be by any available method.For instance, the ball may have an icosahedron-based pattern, such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,168, or an octahedral-based dimplepatterns as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,281. Alternatively, thedimple pattern can be arranged according to phyllotactic patterns, suchas described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,684, or a tubular lattice pattern,such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,615, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein in their entirety.

Dimple patterns may also be based on Archimedean patterns including atruncated octahedron, a great rhombcuboctahedron, a truncateddodecahedron, and a great rhombicosidodecahedron, wherein the patternhas a non-linear parting line, as disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/078,417, which is incorporated in its entirety by referenceherein. The golf balls of the present invention may also be covered withnon-circular shaped dimples, i.e., amorphous shaped dimples, asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,615, which is incorporated in itsentirety by reference herein.

Dimple patterns that provide a high percentage of surface coverage arepreferred, and are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos.5,562,552, 5,575,477, 5,957,787, 5,249,804, and 4,925,193 disclosegeometric patterns for positioning dimples on a golf ball. In oneembodiment, the golf balls of the invention have a dimple coverage ofthe surface area of the cover of at least about 60 percent, preferablyat least about 65 percent, and more preferably at least 70 percent orgreater. Dimple patterns having even higher dimple coverage values mayalso be used with the present invention. Thus, the golf balls of thepresent invention may have a dimple coverage of at least about 75percent or greater, about 80 percent or greater, or even about 85percent or greater.

The golf balls of the present invention may also have a plurality ofpyramidal projections disposed on the intermediate layer of the ball, asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,092, which is incorporated in itsentirety by reference herein. The plurality of pyramidal projections onthe golf ball may cover between about 20 percent to about 80 of thesurface of the intermediate layer. In an alternative embodiment, thegolf ball may have a non-planar parting line allowing for some of theplurality of pyramidal projections to be disposed about the equator.

Several additional non-limiting examples of dimple patterns with varyingsizes of dimples are also provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,358,161 and6,213,898, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by referenceherein.

The total number of dimples on the ball, or dimple count, may varydepending such factors as the sizes of the dimples and the patternselected. In general, the total number of dimples on the ball preferablyis between about 100 to about 1000 dimples, although one skilled in theart would recognize that differing dimple counts within this range cansignificantly alter the flight performance of the ball. In oneembodiment, the dimple count is about 380 dimples or greater, but morepreferably is about 400 dimples or greater, and even more preferably isabout 420 dimples or greater. In one embodiment, the dimple count on theball is about 422 dimples. In some cases, it may be desirable to havefewer dimples on the ball. Thus, one embodiment of the present inventionhas a dimple count of about 380 dimples or less, and more preferably isabout 350 dimples or less.

Dimple profiles revolving a catenary curve about its symmetrical axismay increase aerodynamic efficiency, provide a convenient way to alterthe dimples to adjust ball performance without changing the dimplepattern, and result in uniformly increased flight distance for golfersof all swing speeds. Thus, catenary curve dimple profiles, as disclosedin U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0114255, which is incorporated inits entirety by reference herein, is contemplated for use with the golfballs of the present invention.

Golf Ball Post-Processing

The golf balls of the present invention may be painted, coated, orsurface treated for further benefits. For example, a golf ball of theinvention may be treated with a base resin paint composition or thecover composition may contain certain additives to achieve a desiredcolor characteristic. In one embodiment, the golf ball cover compositioncontains a fluorescent whitening agent, e.g., a derivative of7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin, to provide improved brightness. Anexample of such a fluorescent whitening agent is disclosed in U.S.Patent Publication No. 2002/0082358, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

Protective and decorative coating materials, as well as methods ofapplying such materials to the surface of a golf ball cover are wellknown in the golf ball art. Generally, such coating materials compriseurethanes, urethane hybrids, epoxies, polyesters and acrylics. Ifdesired, more than one coating layer can be used. The coating layer(s)may be applied by any suitable method known to those of ordinary skillin the art. For example, the coating layer(s) may be applied to the golfball cover by an in-mold coating process, such as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,849,168, which is incorporated in its entirety by referenceherein. The coating layer may have a thickness of about 0.004 inches orless, more preferably about 0.002 inches or less.

In addition, the golf balls of the invention may be painted or coatedwith an ultraviolet curable/treatable ink, by using the methods andmaterials disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,500,495, 6,248,804, and6,099,415, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by referenceherein.

In addition, trademarks or other indicia may be stamped, i.e.,pad-printed, on the outer surface of the ball cover, and the stampedouter surface is then treated with at least one clear coat to give theball a glossy finish and protect the indicia stamped on the cover.

The golf balls of the invention may also be subjected to dyesublimation, wherein at least one golf ball component is subjected to atleast one sublimating ink that migrates at a depth into the outersurface and forms an indicia. The at least one sublimating inkpreferably includes at least one of an azo dye, a nitroarylamine dye, oran anthraquinone dye. U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030106442, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Laser marking of a selected surface portion of a golf ball causing thelaser light-irradiated portion to change color is also contemplated foruse with the present invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,248,878 and 6,075,223generally disclose such methods, the entire disclosures of which areincorporated by reference herein. In addition, the golf balls may besubjected to ablation, i.e., directing a beam of laser radiation onto aportion of the cover, irradiating the cover portion, wherein theirradiated cover portion is ablated to form a detectable mark, whereinno significant discoloration of the cover portion results therefrom.Ablation is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,303, which is incorporatedin its entirety by reference herein.

Golf Ball Properties

The properties such as hardness, modulus, core diameter, intermediatelayer thickness and cover layer thickness of the golf balls of thepresent invention have been found to effect play characteristics such asspin, initial velocity and feel of the present golf balls. For example,the flexural and/or tensile modulus of the intermediate layer arebelieved to have an effect on the “feel” of the golf balls of thepresent invention. It should be understood that the ranges herein aremeant to be intermixed with each other, i.e., the low end of one rangemay be combined with a high end of another range.

Component Dimensions

Dimensions of golf ball components, i.e., thickness and diameter, mayvary depending on the desired properties. For the purposes of theinvention, any layer thickness may be employed. Non-limiting examples ofthe various embodiments outlined above are provided here with respect tolayer dimensions.

The present invention relates to golf balls of any size. While USGAspecifications limit the size of a competition golf ball to more than1.68 inches in diameter, golf balls of any size can be used for leisuregolf play. The preferred diameter of the golf balls is from about 1.68inches to about 1.8 inches. The more preferred diameter is from about1.68 inches to about 1.76 inches. A diameter of from about 1.68 inchesto about 1.74 inches is most preferred, however diameters anywhere inthe range of from 1.7 to about 1.95 inches can be used. Preferably, theoverall diameter of the core and all intermediate layers is about 80percent to about 98 percent of the overall diameter of the finishedball.

The core may have a diameter ranging from about 0.09 inches to about1.65 inches. In one embodiment, the diameter of the core of the presentinvention is about 1.2 inches to about 1.630 inches. In anotherembodiment, the diameter of the core is about 1.3 inches to about 1.6inches, preferably from about 1.39 inches to about 1.6 inches, and morepreferably from about 1.5 inches to about 1.6 inches. In yet anotherembodiment, the core has a diameter of about 1.55 inches to about 1.65inches.

The core of the golf ball may also be extremely large in relation to therest of the ball. For example, in one embodiment, the core makes upabout 90 percent to about 98 percent of the ball, preferably about 94percent to about 96 percent of the ball. In this embodiment, thediameter of the core is preferably about 1.54 inches or greater,preferably about 1.55 inches or greater. In one embodiment, the corediameter is about 1.59 inches or greater. In another embodiment, thediameter of the core is about 1.64 inches or less.

When the core includes an inner core layer and an outer core layer, theinner core layer is preferably about 0.9 inches or greater and the outercore layer preferably has a thickness of about 0.1 inches or greater. Inone embodiment, the inner core layer has a diameter from about 0.09inches to about 1.2 inches and the outer core layer has a thickness fromabout 0.1 inches to about 0.8 inches. In yet another embodiment, theinner core layer diameter is from about 0.095 inches to about 1.1 inchesand the outer core layer has a thickness of about 0.20 inches to about0.03 inches.

The cover typically has a thickness to provide sufficient strength, goodperformance characteristics, and durability. The thickness of the outercover layer may be from about 0.005 inches to about 0.100 inches,preferably about 0.007 inches to about 0.035 inches. In one embodiment,the cover thickness is from about 0.02 inches to about 0.35 inches. Inanother embodiment, the cover preferably has a thickness of about 0.02inches to about 0.12 inches, preferably about 0.1 inches or less, morepreferably about 0.07 inches or less. In yet another embodiment, theouter cover has a thickness from about 0.02 inches to about 0.07 inches.In still another embodiment, the cover thickness is about 0.05 inches orless, preferably from about 0.02 inches to about 0.05 inches. Forexample, the outer cover layer may be between about 0.02 inches andabout 0.045 inches, preferably about 0.025 inches to about 0.04 inchesthick. In one embodiment, the outer cover layer is about 0.03 inchesthick.

The range of thicknesses for an intermediate layer of a golf ball islarge because of the vast possibilities when using an intermediatelayer, i.e., as an outer core layer, an inner cover layer, a woundlayer, a moisture/vapor barrier layer. When used in a golf ball of theinvention, the intermediate layer, or inner cover layer, may have athickness about 0.3 inches or less. In one embodiment, the thickness ofthe intermediate layer is from about 0.002 inches to about 0.1 inches,preferably about 0.01 inches or greater. In one embodiment, thethickness of the intermediate layer is about 0.09 inches or less,preferably about 0.06 inches or less. In another embodiment, theintermediate layer thickness is about 0.05 inches or less, morepreferably about 0.01 inches to about 0.045 inches. In one embodiment,the intermediate layer, thickness is about 0.02 inches to about 0.04inches. In another embodiment, the intermediate layer thickness is fromabout 0.025 inches to about 0.035 inches. In yet another embodiment, thethickness of the intermediate layer is about 0.035 inches thick. Instill another embodiment, the inner cover layer is from about 0.03inches to about 0.035 inches thick. Varying combinations of these rangesof thickness for the intermediate and outer cover layers may be used incombination with other embodiments described herein.

The ratio of the thickness of the intermediate layer to the outer coverlayer is preferably about 10 or less, preferably from about 3 or less.In another embodiment, the ratio of the thickness of the intermediatelayer to the outer cover layer is about 1 or less.

Hardness

Most golf balls consist of layers having different hardnesses, e.g.,hardness gradients, to achieve desired performance characteristics. Thepresent invention contemplates golf balls having hardness gradientsbetween layers, as well as those golf balls with layers having the samehardness.

It should be understood, especially to one of ordinary skill in the art,that there is a fundamental difference between “material hardness” and“hardness, as measured directly on a golf ball.” Material hardness isdefined by the procedure set forth in ASTM-D2240 and generally involvesmeasuring the hardness of a flat “slab” or “button” formed of thematerial of which the hardness is to be measured. Hardness, whenmeasured directly on a golf ball (or other spherical surface) is acompletely different measurement and, therefore, results in a differenthardness value. This difference results from a number of factorsincluding, but not limited to, ball construction (i.e., core type,number of core and/or cover layers, etc.), ball (or sphere) diameter,and the material composition of adjacent layers. It should also beunderstood that the two measurement techniques are not linearly relatedand, therefore, one hardness value cannot easily be correlated to theother.

The cores of the present invention may have varying hardnesses dependingon the particular golf ball construction. In one embodiment, the corehardness is at least about 15 Shore A, preferably about 30 Shore A, asmeasured on a formed sphere. In another embodiment, the core has ahardness of about 50 Shore A to about 90 Shore D. In yet anotherembodiment, the hardness of the core is about 80 Shore D or less.Preferably, the core has a hardness about 30 to about 65 Shore D, andmore preferably, the core has a hardness about 35 to about 60 Shore D.

The intermediate layer(s) of the present invention may also vary inhardness depending on the specific construction of the ball. In oneembodiment, the hardness of the intermediate layer is about 30 Shore Dor greater. In another embodiment, the hardness of the intermediatelayer is about 90 Shore D or less, preferably about 80 Shore D or less,and more preferably about 70 Shore D or less. In yet another embodiment,the hardness of the intermediate layer is about 50 Shore D or greater,preferably about 55 Shore D or greater. In one embodiment, theintermediate layer hardness is from about 55 Shore D to about 65 ShoreD. The intermediate layer may also be about 65 Shore D or greater.

When the intermediate layer is intended to be harder than the corelayer, the ratio of the intermediate layer hardness to the core hardnesspreferably about 2 or less. In one embodiment, the ratio is about 1.8 orless. In yet another embodiment, the ratio is about 1.3 or less.

As with the core and intermediate layers, the cover hardness may varydepending on the construction and desired characteristics of the golfball. The ratio of cover hardness to inner ball hardness is a primaryvariable used to control the aerodynamics of a ball and, in particular,the spin of a ball. In general, the harder the inner ball, the greaterthe driver spin and the softer the cover, the greater the driver spin.

For example, when the intermediate layer is intended to be the hardestpoint in the ball, e.g., about 50 Shore D to about 75 Shore D, the covermaterial may have a hardness of about 20 Shore D or greater, preferablyabout 25 Shore D or greater, and more preferably about 30 Shore D orgreater, as measured on the slab. In another embodiment, the coveritself has a hardness of about 30 Shore D or greater. In particular, thecover may be from about 30 Shore D to about 70 Shore D. In oneembodiment, the cover has a hardness of about 40 Shore D to about 65Shore D, and in another embodiment, about 40 Shore to about 55 Shore D.In another aspect of the invention, the cover has a hardness less thanabout 45 Shore D, preferably less than about 40 Shore D, and morepreferably about 25 Shore D to about 40 Shore D. In one embodiment, thecover has a hardness from about 30 Shore D to about 40 Shore D.

In this embodiment when the outer cover layer is softer than theintermediate layer or inner cover layer, the ratio of the Shore Dhardness of the outer cover material to the intermediate layer materialis about 0.8 or less, preferably about 0.75 or less, and more preferablyabout 0.7 or less. In another embodiment, the ratio is about 0.5 orless, preferably about 0.45 or less.

In yet another embodiment, the ratio is about 0.1 or less when the coverand intermediate layer materials have hardnesses that are substantiallythe same. When the hardness differential between the cover layer and theintermediate layer is not intended to be as significant, the cover mayhave a hardness of about 55 Shore D to about 65 Shore D. In thisembodiment, the ratio of the Shore D hardness of the outer cover to theintermediate layer is about 1.0 or less, preferably about 0.9 or less.

In another embodiment, the cover layer is harder than the intermediatelayer. In this design, the ratio of Shore D hardness of the cover layerto the intermediate layer is about 1.33 or less, preferably from about1.14 or less.

Compression

Compression values are dependent on the diameter of the component beingmeasured. Atti compression is typically used to measure the compressionof a golf ball. As used herein, the terms “Atti compression” or“compression” are defined as the deflection of an object or materialrelative to the deflection of a calibrated spring, as measured with anAtti Compression Gauge, that is commercially available from AttiEngineering Corp. of Union City, N.J.

The Atti compression of the core, or portion of the core, of golf ballsprepared according to the invention is preferably less than about 80,more preferably less than about 75. In another embodiment, the corecompression is from about 40 to about 80, preferably from about 50 toabout 70. In yet another embodiment, the core compression is preferablybelow about 50, and more preferably below about 25. In an alternative,low compression embodiment, the core has a compression less than about20, more preferably less than about 10, and most preferably, 0. As knownto those of ordinary skill in the art, however, the cores generatedaccording to the present invention may be below the measurement of theAtti Compression Gauge.

In one embodiment, golf balls of the invention preferably have an Atticompression of about 55 or greater, preferably from about 60 to about120. In another embodiment, the Atti compression of the golf balls ofthe invention is at least about 40, preferably from about 50 to 120, andmore preferably from about 60 to 100. In yet another embodiment, thecompression of the golf balls of the invention is about 75 or greaterand about 95 or less. For example, a preferred golf ball of theinvention may have a compression from about 80 to about 95.

Initial Velocity and COR

There is currently no USGA limit on the COR of a golf ball, but theinitial velocity of the golf ball cannot exceed 250±5 feet/second(ft/s). Thus, in one embodiment, the initial velocity is about 245 ft/sor greater and about 255 ft/s or greater. In another embodiment, theinitial velocity is about 250 ft/s or greater. In one embodiment, theinitial velocity is about 253 ft/s to about 254 ft/s. In yet anotherembodiment, the initial velocity is about 255 ft/s. While the currentrules on initial velocity require that golf ball manufacturers staywithin the limit, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthe golf ball of the invention would readily convert into a golf ballwith initial velocity outside of this range. For example, a golf ball ofthe invention may be designed to have an initial velocity of about 220ft/s or greater, preferably about 225 ft/s or greater.

As a result, of the initial velocity limitation set forth by the USGA,the goal is to maximize COR without violating the 255 ft/s limit. TheCOR of a ball is measured by taking the ratio of the outbound or reboundvelocity to the incoming or inbound velocity. In a one-piece solid golfball, the COR will depend on a variety of characteristics of the ball,including its composition and hardness. For a given composition, CORwill generally increase as hardness is increased. In a two-piece solidgolf ball, e.g., a core and a cover, one of the purposes of the cover isto produce a gain in COR over that of the core. When the contribution ofthe core to high COR is substantial, a lesser contribution is requiredfrom the cover. Similarly, when the cover contributes substantially tohigh COR of the ball, a lesser contribution is needed from the core.

The present invention contemplates golf balls having CORs from about0.700 to about 0.850 at an inbound velocity of about 125 ft/sec. In oneembodiment, the COR is about 0.750 or greater, preferably about 0.780 orgreater. In another embodiment, the ball has a COR of about 0.800 orgreater. In yet another embodiment, the COR of the balls of theinvention is about 0.800 to about 0.815.

In addition, the inner ball preferably has a COR of about 0.780 or more.In one embodiment, the COR is about 0.790 or greater.

Spin Rate

As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the spin rate of a golfball will vary depending on the golf ball construction. In a multilayerball, e.g., a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein thecover is formed from the compositions of the invention, the spin rate ofthe ball off a driver (“driver spin rate”) may be 1500 rpm or greater.In one embodiment, the driver spin rate is about 2000 rpm to about 3500rpm. In another embodiment, the driver spin rate is about 2200 rpm toabout 3400 rpm. In still another embodiment, the driver spin rate may beless than about 1500 rpm.

Two-piece balls made according to the invention may also have driverspin rates of 1500 rpm and greater. In one embodiment, the driver spinrate is about 2000 rpm to about 3300 rpm. Wound balls made according tothe invention preferably have similar spin rates.

Methods of determining the spin rate should be well understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art. Examples of methods for determining thespin rate are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,500,073, 6,488,591,6,286,364, and 6,241,622, which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety.

Flexural Modulus

Accordingly, it is preferable that the golf balls of the presentinvention have an intermediate layer with a flexural modulus of about500 psi to about 500,000 psi according to ASTM D-6272-98. Morepreferably, the flexural modulus of the intermediate layer is about1,000 psi to about 250,000 psi. Most preferably, the flexural modulus ofthe intermediate layer is about 2,000 psi to about 200,000 psi.

The flexural modulus of the cover layer is preferably about 2,000 psi orgreater, and more preferably about 5,000 psi or greater. In oneembodiment, the flexural modulus of the cover is from about 10,000 psito about 150,000 psi. More preferably, the flexural modulus of the coverlayer is about 15,000 psi to about 120,000 psi. Most preferably, theflexural modulus of the cover layer is about 18,000 psi to about 110,000psi. In another embodiment, the flexural modulus of the cover layer isabout 100,000 psi or less, preferably about 80,000 or less, and morepreferably about 70,000 psi or less. For example, the flexural modulusof the cover layer may be from about 10,000 psi to about 70,000 psi,from about 12,000 psi to about 60,000 psi, or from about 14,000 psi toabout 50,000 psi.

In one embodiment, when the cover layer has a hardness of about 50 ShoreD to about 60 Shore D, the cover layer preferably has a flexural modulusof about 55,000 psi to about 65,000 psi.

In one embodiment, the ratio of the flexural modulus of the intermediatelayer to the cover layer is about 0.003 to about 50. In anotherembodiment, the ratio of the flexural modulus of the intermediate layerto the cover layer is about 0.006 to about 4.5. In yet anotherembodiment, the ratio of the flexural modulus of the intermediate layerto the cover layer is about 0.11 to about 4.5.

In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention are used in a golfball with multiple cover layers having essentially the same hardness,but differences in flexural moduli. In this aspect of the invention, thedifference between the flexural moduli of the two cover layers ispreferably about 5,000 psi or less. In another embodiment, thedifference in flexural moduli is about 500 psi or greater. In yetanother embodiment, the difference in the flexural moduli between thetwo cover layers, wherein at least one is reinforced is about 500 psi toabout 10,000 psi, preferably from about 500 psi to about 5,000 psi. Inone embodiment, the difference in flexural moduli between the two coverlayers formed of unreinforced or unmodified materials is about 1,000 psito about 2,500 psi.

Specific Gravity

The specific gravity of a cover or intermediate layer is preferably atleast about 0.7. In one embodiment, the specific gravity of theintermediate layer or cover is about 0.8 or greater, preferably about0.9 or greater. For example, in one embodiment, the golf ball has anintermediate layer with a specific gravity of about 0.9 or greater and acover having a specific gravity of about 0.95 or greater. In anotherembodiment, the intermediate layer or cover has a specific gravity ofabout 1.00 or greater. In yet another embodiment, the specific gravityof the intermediate layer or cover is about 1.05 or greater, preferablyabout 1.10 or greater.

The core may have a specific gravity of about 1.00 or greater,preferably 1.05 or greater. For example, a golf ball of the inventionmay have a core with a specific gravity of about 1.10 or greater and acover with a specific gravity of about 0.95 or greater.

The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scopeby the specific embodiments herein disclosed, since these embodimentsare intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Anyequivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of thisinvention. For example, the compositions of the invention may also beused in golf equipment such as putter inserts, golf club heads andportions thereof, golf shoe portions, and golf bag portions. Indeed,various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown anddescribed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fallwithin the scope of the appended claims. All patents and patentapplications cited in the foregoing text are expressly incorporateherein by reference in their entirety.

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is castfrom a castable reactive acrylate functional composition consistingessentially of: a polyurea backbone; at least one acrylate functionalcomponent reacted with the polyurea backbone; and at least one freeradical initiator.
 2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least oneacrylate functional segment comprises amine-terminated acrylates,amine-terminated methacrylates, or mixtures thereof.
 3. The golf ball ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one acrylate functional segment comprisesamine-terminated acrylate, amine-terminated methacrylate,amine-terminated methyl methacrylate, amine-terminated ethyl acrylate,amine-terminated ethyl methacrylate, amine-terminated butyl acrylate,amine-terminated butyl methacrylate, amine-terminated glycidyl acrylate,amine-terminated glycidyl methacrylate, or mixtures thereof.
 4. The golfball of claim 1, wherein the at least one free radical initiatorcomprises at least one peroxide.
 5. The golf ball of claim 4, whereinthe at least one free radical initiator comprises di-t-amyl peroxide,di(2-t-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide,1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide,di-t-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(t-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane,n-butyl-4,4-bis(t-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoylperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, or mixtures thereof.
 6. The golf ballof claim 4, wherein the at least one free radical initiator is selectedfrom the group consisting of di-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amylperoxy-2-ethylhexyl carbonate, t-amyl peroxyacetate, ethyl 3,3-D(t-amylperoxy) butyrate, 2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy) propane, t-amylperbenzoate, and mixtures thereof.
 7. The golf ball of claim 1, whereinthe polyurea backbone is formed from the reaction product of anisocyanate and an amine-terminated compound.
 8. The golf ball of claim7, wherein the amine-terminated compound is selected from the groupconsisting of amine-terminated hydrocarbons, amine-terminatedpolyethers, amine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminatedpolycaprolactones, amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminatedpolyamides, and mixtures thereof.
 9. A golf ball comprising a core and acover, wherein the cover is cast from a composition comprising: asaturated polyurea backbone formed from the reaction of at least oneisocyanate and at least one amine-terminated compound; at least oneunsaturated acrylate functional segment reacted with the saturatedpolyurea backbone; and at least one free radical initiator; wherein theat least one unsaturated acrylate functional segment comprisesamine-terminated acrylate, amine-terminated methacrylate,amine-terminated methyl methacrylate, amine-terminated ethyl acrylate,amine-terminated ethyl methacrylate, amine-terminated butyl acrylate,amine-terminated butyl methacrylate, amine-terminated glycidyl acrylate,amine-terminated glycidyl methacrylate, or mixtures thereof.
 10. Thegolf ball of claim 9, wherein the composition comprises about 1 to about100 percent of urea acrylate and about 99 percent to 0 percent of atleast one unsaturated acrylate resin.
 11. The golf ball of claim 9,wherein the amine-terminated compound is selected from the groupconsisting of amine-terminated hydrocarbons, amine-terminatedpolyethers, amine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminatedpolycaprolactones, amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminatedpolyamides, and mixtures thereof.
 12. The golf ball of claim 11, whereinthe amine-terminated compound comprises primary amines, secondaryamines, triamines, or combinations thereof.
 13. The golf ball of claim9, wherein the saturated polyurea backbone comprises linkages having thegeneral formulae:

wherein x is about 1 or greater, and wherein R and R₁ are straight chainor branched hydrocarbon chains having about 1 to about 20 carbons, andwherein the linkages form greater than about 10 percent of the polyureabackbone.
 14. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the saturated polyureabackbone consists essentially of linkages having the general formula:

wherein x is about 1 or greater, and wherein R and R₁ comprise straightchain or branched hydrocarbon chains having about 1 to about 20 carbons,and wherein the linkages form greater than about 10 percent of thepolyurea backbone.
 15. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the at leastone free radical initiator comprises at least one peroxide.
 16. The golfball of claim 9, wherein the at least one free radical initiator isselected from the group consisting of di-t-amyl peroxide, tert-amylperoxy-2-ethylhexyl carbonate, t-amyl peroxyacetate, ethyl 3,3-D(t-amylperoxy) butyrate, 2,2-di-(t-amylperoxy) propane, t-amylperbenzoate, and mixtures thereof.
 17. A golf ball comprising a core anda cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from acastable reactive liquid material comprising: a polyurea backboneconsisting essentially of linkages having the general formula:

wherein x is about 1 or greater, and wherein R and R₁ comprise straightchain or branched hydrocarbon chains having about 1 to about 20 carbons;at least one acrylate functional component reacted with the polyureabackbone; and at least one free radical initiator wherein the at leastone acrylate functional component comprises amine-terminated acrylate,amine-terminated methacrylate, amine-terminated methyl methacrylate,amine-terminated ethyl acrylate, amine-terminated ethyl methacrylate,amine-terminated butyl acrylate, amine-terminated butyl methacrylate,amine-terminated glycidyl acrylate, amine-terminated glycidylmethacrylate, or mixtures thereof.
 18. The golf ball of claim 17,wherein the cover comprises an inner cover and an outer cover, andwherein the at least a portion is the inner cover, the outer cover, orboth.